Rumors of North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un’s declining health have inspired a bevy of mocking and agenda-driven tweets from both the left and right.
The hashtag #KIMJONGUNDEAD began trending on Twitter shortly after Reuters reported that China had dispatched a team of medical experts to the country to advise on his well-being. Although next to nothing is known for sure, social media went into a frenzy with memes and posts that had less to do with North Korea and more to do with US politics.
‘Dilbert’ creator and political author Scott Adams used the news to take a shot at former Vice President Joe Biden’s potential relationship with Kim’s sister, should she take power in the case of her brother’s death.
“If Kim Jong-un's sister has no blood on her hands (as far as anyone knows), this could be an opening for peace, unless Biden becomes president and gets handsy with her,” Adams tweeted.
Donald Trump’s critics predictably used the opportunity to try and dunk on the president, who has maintained a more positive relationship with North Korea than previous presidents.
“If he is indeed brain dead, now he has more in common with Trump than just being a wannabe tough guy,” tweeted one user about Kim.
Controversial businessman and former presidential hopeful – he tried for the Libertarian Party’s nomination in 2016 – John McAfee took things a step further, joking that perhaps Trump and Kim have “eloped." The tweet included a fake magazine cover of the two world leaders embracing each other, but it has since been deleted.
Others expressed outright a want for the North Korean leader to actually die or simply tied Kim’s circumstances into the current Covid-19 pandemic.
“The lord just came to me and told me that Kim Jong-un has passed away, hasn’t hit the news yet but just wait, Amen,” tweeted YouTuber Matt H. Watson.
The news has also provided plenty of easy fodder for memes and GIFs from users looking to make various jokes at Kim’s expense.
“Mission completed. Thank you James Franco and Seth Rogen,” one user wrote, referencing the controversial 2014 comedy ‘The Interview’ where the actors’ characters kill a fictional version of Kim.
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