North Korea threatens war on US over Kim Jong-un movie

Quote:

North Korea has promised "merciless" retaliation if a forthcoming Hollywood movie about killing Kim Jong-un is released, say agencies.

A North Korean foreign ministry spokesman said in state media that the movie's release would be an "act of war".

He did not mention the title, but a Hollywood movie called The Interview with a similar plot is due in October.

Hollywood actors James Franco and Seth Rogen star in the action-comedy film.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-28014069

A smaller scale, but not too dissimilar story was reported back in April in which a London hairdressers was visited by North Korean officials questioning the use of a poster of Kim Jung-un in its window with the caption 'Bad Hair Day?' They were shown the door and the police were called.

I would love to see, for once, that the BBC cite their sources. Also, the movie trailer is extremely cringeworthy. People find this shit funny? Team America was funny, not this crap.

Comrade Kaiwen wrote:

I would love to see, for once, that the BBC cite their sources. Also, the movie trailer is extremely cringeworthy. People find this shit funny? Team America was funny, not this crap.

A couple of Dane Cook-level "hipster" hacks making a quick cash-in on a lowest common denominator "push button" issue. It just shows how inflexible, humorless, and short sighted Jong Un is that he would even acknowledge such a thing.

Comrade Kaiwen wrote:

I would love to see, for once, that the BBC cite their sources.

It feels like somebody's just making up anything they think will sell some page-views. When it comes to the DPRK people will believe practically anything.

I was under an impression that the BBC was a little stricter with their reporting than some places, but maybe that's starting to change. Perhaps they need to employ somebody with a stronger grasp on the use of rhetoric in the Korean language.

The official KCNA statement is here.

There is no direct threat of nuclear retaliation. The statement ends with the usual blustery business: "If the U.S. administration connives at and patronizes the screening of the film, it will invite a strong and merciless countermeasure."

What I find far more fascinating is this kind of thing:

KCNA wrote:

This act of not fearing any punishment from Heaven is touching off the towering hatred and wrath of the service personnel and people of the DPRK.

And:

Quote:

The dignified and worthwhile life the Korean people enjoy at present and the great changes taking place in the country as well as everything valuable that will belong to the rosy future when the dreams and ideals of the people will come true would be unthinkable apart from the supreme leadership of the DPRK.

I added in the bold just to underscore a rather interesting point which few defenders of the Great Juche Road seem to highlight in their glowing reviews: The proper "Fear of Heaven" will lead to "a rosy future", predicated on absolute faith and obedience in the supreme leadership. Familiar?

Good one for finding that.

It certainly is an elaborate and distinctive way of talking - especially for diplomatic statements where the importance of being understood is usually considered paramount. It's hardly surprising that there are going to be misunderstandings if they make diplomatic statements like that.

I wonder how much of that style is unique to the North.

Shigalyov wrote:

It certainly is an elaborate and distinctive way of talking - especially for diplomatic statements where the importance of being understood is usually considered paramount. It's hardly surprising that there are going to be misunderstandings if they make diplomatic statements like that.

I can imagine similar dialogues between the Emperor of Rome and the Pharoah of Egypt, etc. It makes sense that a realm such as DPRK, which is stuck in limbo between the technological advances of the 21st century and the hermetic isolation of Confucianist ideology, would use such language.

Hopefully, this ends with Seth Rogen being assassinated.

I haven't been to DPRK, but the video I posted earlier in this section of the forum pretty much tells the tale - and from an officially sanctioned perspective at that. Anyone who says Pyongyang isn't the most grey and lifeless city (apart from an actual ghost town, many of which still retain a great deal more character and charm) they've ever seen is simply propagandizing for the regime.

riham wrote:

I haven't been to DPRK, but [...] Anyone who says Pyongyang isn't the most grey and lifeless city [...] they've ever seen is simply propagandizing for the regime.

and who are you simply propagandizing for? Looks like the West to me.