North Korea Rules Out Time/Space Travel as Reason for Disappearance of Kim Jong Un

Those who are wondering what happened to North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un can rest assured … he didn’t leave Pyongyang to visit his relatives in the past or find out who wins the U.S. election in the future. Why would he do these things? According to North Korean tradition, Kim, his father and his grandfather possessed the ability to travel through time and space … well, they did until North Korea’s official state media issued the following statement:

“In fact, people can’t disappear and reappear by folding space.”

Wait … what? Let’s get some background on this. Rodong Shinmun, the North Korean state media, is referring to ‘chukjibop’ – a Korean term meaning ‘distance-shrinking magic’ used to describe the ability to travel through time and space by folding them. That concept sounds similar to the idea of wormholes but is rooted in Asian mythology – the Chinese call it Qinggong while the Japanese refer to the power as Shukuchi. Qinggong is more familiar to martial arts fans – it also refers to those gravity defying flips, wall-climbing abilities and superhuman speeds seen in movies. Shukuchi, which means ‘shrink earth method’ also refers to martial arts moves where a fighter suddenly appears in an opponent’s space, but is rooted in the belief in the power of teleportation, particularly in Buddhism.

[link to www.rfa.org (secure)]