Commercial in China pokes fun of NK leader amid nuke test

A commercial making fun of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has emerged in China amid growing public anger at Pyongyang over its recent nuclear test.

On Sina Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, a video commercial (http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNTE1Njk4NTky.html) created by the Internet company Jinshan and recently released to advertise its Web browser Cheetah is spreading rapidly.

The 80-second ad starts with a scene in which Kim stands at a podium with his aides to celebrate while watching the launch of the North’s rocket in real time. Hanging against the backdrop of the podium is a banner reading, “Long live Compatriot Kim Jong Un.”

At the moment of high tension when the countdown begins, the clock reads zero, but all of sudden, the Web browser on the computer goes down, suggesting a message reading, “Satellite launch postponed.” Kim then holds up a rifle and aims it at his aide in charge.

As the aide swiftly downloads Cheetah to resume normal operations of the computer, Kim cheerfully does the horse-riding dance to the tune of South Korean rapper Psy’s hit “Gangnam Style." The narrator then says “Oppan (brother), you are Cheetah style” in Korean. In the ad, the North Korean leader is depicted as someone who easily loses and regains his temper while stubbornly pursuing missile development. Playing Kim is a fat stand-in actor.

The Washington Post on Saturday also said the Chinese public apparently no longer welcomes Kim given the release of an ad satirizing him following a song that does the same.

koh@donga.com