North Korean Soldiers Face Death Penalty for Mocking Kim Jong-Un

A group of North Korean soldiers and officers has made the unsurprising discovery that dictator Kim Jong-un does not have a sense of humor.

After “slandering” the dictator with jokes that compared him to a mental patient and a small child, troops from the Second Army Corps have been arrested and investigated (two steps which usually occur in that order in North Korea). A source told Radio Free Asia they will be “severely punished,” possibly with the death penalty.

Another jest reported by UPI mocks Kim Jong-un as “Kim Squared” because he is crazier than his father Kim Jong-il and grandfather Kim Il-sung combined. That one probably gets bonus points in the North Korean “justice” system for mocking the entire ruling family at once.

The story prompts interest beyond the immediate “what were these guys thinking?” reaction because UPI reports there are signs of Kim’s growing unpopularity across the country. Other military units are growing nervous about the possibility of scapegoating or loyalty purges. Leaflets calling for Kim’s overthrow were found in one city, while anti-Kim graffiti was sprayed across buildings in another.

According to the Christian Post, the graffiti called for Kim Jong-un to be “punished” as an “enemy of the people.” The government responded by declaring, “Those who try to challenge the Sun will never survive.”