Kim Jong-un assassination rumours flood Twitter, Weibo (Unconfirmed)

National Post ^ | 02/10/2012 | Lucas Shaw

[SeekAndFind]

Did social media just prematurely kill off the leader of North Korea?

Rumours that Kim Jong-un, the country’s supreme leader, has been assassinated just months after he took power originated on Chinese microblogging service Weibo and have now spread all over Twitter.

Others are reporting that Jong-un may be on the run rather than dead, but that some kind of coup is taking place.

The rumours remain unsubstantiated, and as Adrian Chen at Gawker wrote, these types of reports crop up often given the furtive nature of North Korea’s government.

However, the reports are beginning to gather steam, especially now that a couple of American news outlets have reported on the rumors.

Weibo is in many ways the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, and disseminates news at a rapid pace. People were tipped off that there was something happening that involved Jong-Un, who succeeded his later father Kim Jong-Il, because of the mass of cars parked outside of his resident.

One person on Weibo wrote (poor translation), ”confirmed reports, the top leaders in # Korea # # jinzhengen was assassinated # . Reportedly occurred at 2:45 on the 10th, gold and three fat was assassinated in their own villa, the Korean Embassy in Beijing has brought together more than 30 cars, the scale of more than Kim Jong-il’s death the situation.”

[Le Chien Rouge]

Kim Jong-un is probably the North Korean version of Fredo.

[circlecity]

If it’s a coup then the Army has to be in on it. Either actively or by consent. Only way a coup works is if you have the Army with you.

[dfwgator]

“Can you get me off the hook, for old time’s sake?”

[dfwgator]

Kim Jong-un is probably the North Korean version of Fredo.

He went fishing, and now he sleeps with the fishes.

[SpaceBar]

Ping for independent confirmation.

[Anti-Hillary]

Time to get out my copy of “Dead Heat” by Joel Rosenberg....

[relee]

Nothing from http://twitter.com/w7voa yet.

And Forbes has the same rumor, not confirmed yet.

[TheOldLady]

Click a Kitty         Thank you, JoeProBono

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[BubbaJunebug]

And for news on a more serious note: The long legged mac daddy is still occupying the white house...

Don’t call me racist....I cant stand his white half either!

[The Sons of Liberty]

Hussein and Hildabeast will be among the first to send their condolences for their commie comrade.

[SevenofNine]

I just hear what going on in NK

Did they finally go Kill Bill on the dude

[mkjessup]

ya did good...... very good. Straight to the horses mouth

Well you're on of my favorite FReepers too Bert, just sayin' ;)

Have a good weekend! I'm going to be listening to the short wave to see what I pick up 'over there', if anything.

[trebb]

My thoughts paralleled yours - would it get better or worse if the figurehead was removed...I don’t know if anyone nhas sufficient inside dope to make a good guess.

[TigerLikesRooster]

So far nothing on SK media.

[BIGLOOK]

*

Just checking.

[HOYA97]

ping for later

[dynachrome]

thanks. I hadn’t realized you got pinged to about 3 other threads on this. Looks to be a false alarm

[Wuli]

We had better intelligence on the Soviet Union than we have ever had on North Korea.

[cornfedcowboy]

And so it begins...............................

Kim whacked
Athens burns
Houston dead