Chinese websites are censoring a phrase meaning "Kim Fatty the Third", a nickname widely used to disparage the North Korean leader, after officials from his country reportedly conveyed their displeasure in a meeting with Chinese counterparts. Searches for the Chinese words "Jin San Pang" on the search engine Baidu and microblogging platform Weibo returned no results this week.
The nickname pokes fun at Kim Jong-un's girth and his status as the third generation of the Kim family to rule the world's only hereditary communist dynasty. It's especially popular among young, irreverent Chinese who tend to look down on their country's would-be ally. [...] North Korean officials, fearing that Kim would find out about the nickname, lodged a formal request with China recently to prohibit names disparaging Kim from appearing in the media, according to Hong Kong newspaper reports.
Also at USA Today.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Dunbal on Thursday November 17 2016, @03:40PM
You might grumble now, but you're only grumbling because you weren't born as Kim Jong Un. Face it - what choice does he actually have? He was born to a role and if he lets go of the tiger he loses his life. I don't feel sorry for the guy because I'm sure he lives very well, but in a sense he's just as trapped as everyone else.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Thursday November 17 2016, @04:03PM
He could do what past African dictators have done when deposed and retire to a villa outside Paris. I'm sure Kim Jong Un has billions in a secret account somewhere.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 17 2016, @04:58PM
As to why China does what they do with regards to North Korea, China has more than enough people, they don't need millions of North Korean refugees. So if it means helping to prop up an evil dictator so be it, same goes for trade and aid.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday November 17 2016, @07:56PM
the tiger or wars over who gets to ride it might still kill plenty of North Koreans. That's how it normally works doesn't it? Just look at the results of the USA toppling/killing dictators (a number that they installed in the first place). Heck just trying to topple dictators (e.g. US vs Assad in Syria) can cause plenty of problems (or opportunities if you're in the US military industrial complex).
First rule of parasites: make it as hard as possible for the host to get rid of the parasite. The self-destruction of society when the strongman gets removed is a feature not a bug.
As to why China does what they do with regards to North Korea, China has more than enough people, they don't need millions of North Korean refugees. So if it means helping to prop up an evil dictator so be it, same goes for trade and aid.
It would not be a big deal for them. It's not like the North Koreans are a completely alien culture and as you note, China has plenty of people, cultural dilution via immigration just isn't going to happen.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Friday November 18 2016, @12:37AM
Furthermore, South Korea at least pays lip service to the idea of reunification, and there are some families down south that will be willing to take in their estranged north side of the family. Polls show high support for reunification among South Koreans. NK's population is only about half of SK's. As long as their immediate needs following a regime collapse can be met by SK and the international community, many North Koreans could stay in the communities where they already live.
North Koreans have been exposed to some South Korean culture for years by smuggled VHS tapes, DVDs, and flash media.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/25/asia/north-korea-drones/ [cnn.com]
http://flashdrivesforfreedom.org/ [flashdrivesforfreedom.org]
China has the resources to repel an influx of North Korean migrants.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Dunbal on Friday November 18 2016, @02:46PM
cultural dilution via immigration just isn't going to happen.
Besides, China has a whole different spin on "political correctness". Note the muslims in the Uighur region who are not allowed to wear their beards [aljazeera.com] unless they want to be incarcerated. Adapting to official Chinese culture is not only encouraged but enforced.