China paper falls for Onion joke about Kim

The online version of China’s Communist Party newspaper has hailed a report by The Onion naming North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un as the “sexiest man alive” — not realising it is satire.

The People’s Daily ran a 55-image gallery on its website in a tribute to the leader, under the headline “North Korea’s top leader named The Onion’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2012”. The newspaper described the organisation awarding the title as “US website The Onion”, but made no mention of satire and published the report as world news.

Quoting The Onion’s spoof report, the Chinese newspaper wrote: “With his devastatingly handsome, round face, his boyish charm, and his strong, sturdy frame, this Pyongyang-bred heartthrob is every woman’s dream come true.

“Blessed with an air of power that masks an unmistakable cute, cuddly side, Kim made this newspaper’s editorial board swoon with his impeccable fashion sense, chic short hairstyle, and, of course, that famous smile.”

The photos, still online at time of going to press, selected by People’s Daily selected include Kim on horseback squinting into the light, and Kim waving toward a military parade.

It is not the first time a state-run Chinese newspaper has fallen for a fictional Onion report.

In 2002, the Beijing Evening News published as news the fictional account that the US Congress might leave Washington.

The article was a spoof of the way sports teams threaten to leave cities in order to get new stadiums.