ΒιΆΉΣ°ΚΣ

Skip to main content

North Korean soldier in blue generates buzz on social media

Share
SEOUL, South Korea -

A North Korean soldier clad in a super-tight blue outfit in a state media photo has generated a buzz on social media, with some calling him β€œa superhero,” β€œa captain DPRK,” or β€œa rocket man.”

He was among nearly 30 soldiers who posed for a photo with leader Kim Jong Un during an exhibition of weapons systems on Monday. North Korea published photos of the event the following day.

They all mostly wore olive green uniforms, the most common color for North Korean military uniforms. Only two of them wore different colors - the one in the blue outfit and the other in a navy-blue uniform, which isn't that unusual. Kim wore a dark suit.

Some Twitter users in South Korea, the U.S. and elsewhere joked about his appearance, saying he looks like a β€œhuman cannon ball,” or the North Korean equivalent of Captain America.

Others called him a β€œsuperhero,” a β€œcaptain DPRK,” the official acronym for North Korea, a β€œrocket man,” or a member of (non-existent) North Korean space forces.

North Korean state media didn't identify the man. But Jeffrey Lewis, an expert at Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, tweeted that β€œIt seems he's the parachutist.”

Other North Korean photos showed Kim watching a group of jets flying in a formation during an air show ahead of the exhibition. The official Korean Central News Agency said a β€œtop notch parachutist showed landing skills, fluttering red party flag in the (October) sky” before the exhibition's opening ceremony.

Photos of an earlier air show in North Korea showed parachutists wearing similar blue tight outfits.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.