State news programme may have missed the joke when it used an image of the smiling dog in a segment about American inequality

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

North Korea’s state-run KCTV network has used the popular “birthday dog” meme that swept the internet in 2010 to criticise America and its extravagances.

As seen in a video released on YouTube, KCTV’s talk show Today’s World used the picture of Riley during a segment about poor conditions in the US.

KCTV commentator Lee Chung-song claimed in the clip that American billionaires are buying $15,000 dog collars for their pets, paying for dog hotels and spas or even hosting expensive birthday parties for their canines, such as the one enjoyed by Riley, while many homeless people are forced to live in boxes, he said.

None of this is untrue, strictly speaking, but it seems the TV channel may have taken the images a little too literally.

Kim Heung-kwang, director of NK Intellectuals Solidarity, said: “I have heard of cases where DPRK media producers used the wrong pictures on a movie or newspaper, but this is the first time seeing it on the internet.”

Riley went viral in 2010 after his owner posted the picture on her Facebook page. The picture received thousands of views when a family friend republished it Reddit. Riley became known for his smile, which users said looked like the canine was “under the influence of marijuana”.

The TV clip also shows images of dogs apparently at a tea party, and another surrounded by glasses of champagne, used by the programme as further evidence of America’s deep inequality.

The current affairs programme emphasises the gap between the rich and poor in America – criticising the country for exploiting the human rights agenda against North Korea while failing to shelter its own homeless population.

“This incorrectly used image clearly shows the North Korean TV producers’ hardship in getting the right data file for their show,” Kim said.

“If the TV producers can’t find the data they want to use, it will lead to miscommunication and mistakes, like using the wrong meme,” Kim said.

KCTV also used a picture of Giant George, the world’s tallest dog, though his inclusion shows no clear relation to the show’s theme on inequality.

