August 20, 2010

• Twitterating!

   So the big news in the NorKor circle is that Norkor started its own propaganda twitter account.  Guess who is soooooo on Twitter now-- @justgotspaid.  Not that I plan on tweeting much, but who knows.  Obama commented earlier this week that NorKor might be getting in over its head with this. 

  I plan on enjoying it while it lasts.  In their most recent tweet, NorKor posted a video on its YouTube site-- MAN I wish I could read Korean!  Anyway, it looks like a 4 minute long version of NorKor's own Shark Week.  This shit is so funny. 

  U.S. Talking to North Korea - On Twitter

  BY Jenara NerenbergThu Aug 19, 2010

  
  

  

  North Korea and the U.S. are finally talking ... on Twitter.

  The reclusive rogue state opened its first Twitter account, @uriminzok, which means "our people," earlier this week. The tweets were about as interesting as you'd expect from a ministry of propoganda: "Let's welcome the Party Leader Forum with open arms," is how one recent tweet translates. The most notable missive from @uriminzok's first week is its denial of accusations that North Korea torpedoed a South Korean warship back in March.

  Then on Tuesday, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, Philip Crowley [who I am also now following on Twitter], started engaging North Korea on his Twitter feed. His first tweet on the subject was innocuous enough: "We use Twitter to connect, to inform, and to debate. We welcome North #Korea to Twitter and the networked world."

  

  Since then, Crowley has turned on the heat:

  "The Hermit Kingdom will not change overnight, but technology once introduced can't be shut down. Just ask #Iran. #Korea"

  "The North Korean government has joined Twitter, but is it prepared to allow its citizens to be connected as well? #Korea"

  Finally, yesterday, the top diplomat got up in North Korea's grill:

  "North #Korea calls South Korea's reunification plan - and freedom and prosperity it represents - "ridiculous"? How ridiculous is that?"

  So far, this is something of a one-sided Twitwar. North Korea has not acknowledged Crowley's tweets. But it has started talking up a new movie on its YouTube channel, the title of which translates roughly to "Country Music, People, O Screen Future Ahead."

  So congratulations to the hermit kingdom on its first piece of social media marketing. We can't wait to see the State Department's Twitter review.

  Philip Crowley, you are my hero!

  • 9:40 am
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