Following speculation about North Korean head of state Kim Jong-un's allegedly ailing health, new reports, as yet unverified, suggest that he might actually be dead.
According to the New York Post, vice director of HKSTV Hong Kong Satellite Television claimed that Kim was dead, citing a "very solid source", while Japanese weekly Shukan Gendai claimed that Kim is in a "vegetative state" after undergoing heart surgery earlier this month.
And yet other unconfirmed reports, "attributed to senior party sources in Beijing", allege that "an operation to insert a stent went wrong because the surgeon’s hands were shaking so badly".
But while it's hard to tell if there's any truth to these claims, many social media users proceeded to crack jokes on the occasion, with hashtag #KIMJONGUNDEAD emerging among the Twitter trends.
Maybe if Kim Jong Un did this... 🤷🏻♀️#KIMJONGUNDEAD pic.twitter.com/KLXiHownF4
— IcaIca🏳️🌈 (@ica_baby_la) April 25, 2020
North Koreans pretending to fake cry at Kim Jong Uns funeral #KIMJONGUNDEAD pic.twitter.com/tm0wkrkk5f
— Ryota (@Shohokus_basket) April 25, 2020
Kim Jong Un: *Dies*
— Donte Montague (@DonteMontague_) April 25, 2020
North Korea:
#KIMJONGUNDEAD pic.twitter.com/PrgGxdo46L
Some netizens joked about the conduct of doctors during that hypothetical situation.
Breaking News:
— Free Joe Biden ! (@ArturoZaher) April 25, 2020
Kim Jong Un’s Heart Surgeon speaks on the surgery for the first time:#KIMJONGUNDEAD pic.twitter.com/A9zng6pBqN
Doctor who botched up Kim Jong Un's heart Surgery...#KimJongUnDead pic.twitter.com/UiCw8yZBZZ
— Mohit Singh (@Mohitlogic) April 25, 2020
A number of users made references to the American action comedy film “The Interview” whose premise involved an assassination plot against Kim.
does anyone know the whereabouts of james franco and seth rogen tho?????? #KIMJONGUNDEAD pic.twitter.com/Q7Pvct16gO
— Dylan (@dylandesu_) April 25, 2020
And there were also those who brought US President Donald Trump into the equation.
Everything Trump Touches Dies#KimJongUn #KimJongUnDEAD @therickwilson pic.twitter.com/7HEqzKIB3N
— Oracle Frequency🌊 (@OracleFrequency) April 25, 2020
At least one person remarked that Kim may be well and might even be having a good laugh at the expense of the people currently making jokes.
Kim Jong Un completely fine and reading all these tweets about himself: #KIMJONGUNDEAD pic.twitter.com/qGC5Q1QTHY
— Faye Altoft (@fayealtoft_) April 25, 2020
