In the latest example of Kim Jong-un’s supreme brilliance, the North Korean leader has banned sarcasm in the isolated nation.
The Telegraph reports that Kim outlawed the cleverest form of humor because he fears people who only agree with him ironically. Government officials were warned that they would “not be forgiven” if they are caught employing sarcasm.
Mass meetings have been held throughout the country to spread the news to the country’s repressed citizens. Radio Free Asia quoted a source in Jagang Province, on the Chinese border, saying “one state security official personally organized a meeting to alert local residents to potential ‘hostile actions’ by internal rebellious elements.” Officials also warned the population that even indirect criticism of party leadership will be dealt with harshly.
According to Independent, the sarcasm ban comes on the heels of an uptick in criticism of the country's brutal regime. For example, the phrase “a fool who cannot see the outside world” has reportedly been circulating within the country, a reference to the despot’s extreme isolationism.
While this outlandish action by the dictator is certainly worth poking fun at, something Stephen Colbert was more than happy to do, North Korea made headlines last week for a much more dangerous reason when the regime tested its largest nuclear warhead to date.
[Photo via Huffington Post]
