Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/21/north_korean_internet_domain/
The Register isn't too happy about last week's news that North Korea is poised to register its own Internet domain.
No, we don't have a problem with the communist stronghold joining our nothing-less-than-capitalistic worldwide party, first reported by The Associated Press (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070817/tc_afp/itinternetnkorea). But we do take issue with its choice of domain name.
Do they not speak in English in North Korea? Clearly, the country’s domain name should be “NK” – not “KP.”
KP is a British peanut company - at best. At worst, it's an American healthcare conglomerate. It is by no means proper material for an internet domain name.
Can you imagine even a single ".kp" address that rolls off the tongue? We didn't think so. Meanwhile, ".nk" is conducive to all sorts of eminently-attractive web monikers. There's "bli.nk", "cli.nk", and "icehockeyri.nk". Not to mention "fu.nk", "bu.nk", and "blinddru.nk". Better yet, there's "wa.nk." Or "gohomeya.nk". Which would go down particularly well in North Korea.
The Reg is not alone in its unmitigated disgust for the latest international outrage perpetrated by Chairman Kim Jong-il. Peter Doherty and Kate Moss have already posted a protest song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPvmwuLaXhE). ®
Kim Jong Il: dictator, gnome, and now 'internet expert' (5 October 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/05/north_korea_kim_internet_expert/
Team America to launder $24m North Korean cash through Russia (23 June 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/23/korea_nukes_banco_delta_asia/
New North Korean missile tested in Iran (16 May 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/16/korean_missile_test_in_iran/
Godless N Korean commies ate my monster rabbits (8 April 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/08/commies_ate_my_rabbits/
North Korea to shut down nuclear reactor (13 February 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/13/n_korea_disarms/
Channel 4 pulls 'wank week' (2 February 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/02/channel_four_pulls_series/
N Korea puts giant rabbit on the menu (15 January 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/15/giant_german_rabbits/
Channel 4 to televise UK's first 'Masturbate-a-thon' (18 July 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/07/18/tv_spectacular/
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