North Korea is now on Twitter — yes, North Korea, with one of the most oppressive regimes in the world.
Oppressive regimes usually aren't much for the Internet microblogging service, which carries posts of up to 140 characters from people and organizations around the world. China, for example, has banned Twitter. Earlier this year, Pakistan blocked it and sites like YouTube and Facebook, citing offenses to Islam.
North Korea isn't looking to chit-chat about the MTV Video Music Awards or even the 38th parallel, the latitude separating it from democratic South Korea. Nor will North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il be giving tips on hair stylists. The country has launched its own PR campaign, joining the legions of thousands of other individuals and companies that do the same thing on Twitter.
Nine messages were posted on North Korea's Twitter page as of Monday afternoon, with the first posts having been made Aug. 12.
The country's Twitter name, "uriminzok" "can be translated into "our people," according to The Korea Times. "Most of the messages have links to anti-South Korea and anti-US statements on the communist regime’s official website," the newspaper said.
As of Monday morning PT, North Korea had more than 1,600 followers.
The Twitter page is the second social media effort by North Korea; it also launched a YouTube page in July.