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I'll Just Leave This Here

Kim Jong Il Dies, Really Unsettling and Awkward Footage of North Koreans Grieving Surfaces

by James Plafke | 10:25 am, December 19th, 2011

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il, 69, died last night, reportedly due to having a heart attack during a train ride. Though we don’t normally report on “normal” news, the dictator’s death came with a very odd, fairly unsettling video released by North Korean state news, featuring North Koreans supposedly devastated at the loss of the dictator that most of the rest of the world couldn’t be happier about losing. The almost synchronization and extreme — if it were in a movie — cheesy outbursts of the mourners seem a little suspect, making it all the more awkward and unsettling. Read on below to check out the video, complete with fists pounding the concrete and people screaming at the top of their lungs.

(via io9)

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  • http://twitter.com/VaZeroK VaZeroK

    Terror tactics man. They have been so programed to fear their dictator that they sympathize for him. It’s Stockholm syndrome on a massive scale.

  • http://twitter.com/Mesoian Mesoian

    I don’t know if I would go quite that far, not over this anyway. Imagine if Obama died of a stroke last night, there would be large pockets of our community that would be reacting the same way. I’m sure there are a lot of people in North Korea that are thrilled about this news, but they’re not going to get media coverage.

    How is this not trending on twitter? It’s kind of a big deal.

  • ThatGuy

    People live in Pyongyang at the will of the government…best to keep up with your neighbors in making an appropriate display of sadness lest you lose you get moved to the boonies or worse.

  • http://www.facebook.com/cuppkins Lauren Harris

    I think it’s really a mixture of Stockholm syndrome, genuine dismay and acting. Like you said, I’m sure there are tons of people that are thrilled, but they would never show it. It’d be too dangerous to oppose the government so openly.

  • http://www.facebook.com/cuppkins Lauren Harris

    This whole thing actually reminds me of the Two Minutes Hate from 1984 where Winston acts enraged and hysterically towards the film of Goldstein, though he is very much opposed to the Party, in order to keep himself safe.

  • Ta_kai1

    Not many tissues, eh? Sobbing with not many tears. In ancient times during asian dynasties, death of a ruler usually meant death of the household servants and such.
    Maybe they fear an unknown type of purge?

  • Ta_kai1

    Not many tissues, eh? Sobbing with not many tears. In ancient times during asian dynasties, death of a ruler usually meant death of the household servants and such.
    Maybe they fear an unknown type of purge?

  • http://twitter.com/cnlson cnlson

    yep, we’ve got a lot to fear from these underfed whiney babies… 

    i did think i saw one person laughing though and there was another with a parka hood over his head while pounding on the ground and i bet he was laughing

  • doggydog

    they must have been told we assassinated the dude. all hell is going to break loose now wait and see

  • http://www.thechildhealthsite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1 Edcedc8

    vale jong!

  • DT

    I heard on NPR today that when Kim Jong Il’s father died, citizens who did not display enough grief were actually punished, and that’s likely what’s going on here as well. People are afraid to be caught unaffected and therefore punished. It’s crazy.


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