Justin Bieber in North Korea? Online Prank Leaves Singer Facing Tour There

Justin Bieber (AP Photo)

NEW YORK (CBS) Justin Bieber is apparently the subject of a new Internet prank, which now has the singer facing a tour of North Korea.

Bieber held a contest on his website encouraging fans to vote for where the next stop on his "My World" tour should be, with no restrictions on which countries could be voted for. The contest ended up with more than half a million votes to send the 16-year-old teen icon to the communist nation.

4chan, an imageboard website known for Internet pranks, encouraged people to vote for North Korea as the country Bieber should tour next. The contest, which ended Wednesday, saw North Korea move from 24th to first place in less than two days, putting it several thousand votes ahead of Israel.

Given the fact that almost all citizens of North Korea are denied Internet access and there are restrictive controls over all media, BBC News noted, it is unlikely that any of the votes have actually come from within the country.

The prank got so big that BBC News even contacted a spokesman for the North Korean Embassy in London, who told the news organization that "any application for 16-year-old Bieber to tour would be dealt with by its mission to the United Nations, although the matter would be referred to Pyongyang."

This is not the first major prank of which Bieber has been a target. According to the report, a post on 4chan in June urged users to all search for the term "Justin Bieber Syphilis," pushing it to the top of Google Trends' Hot Searches list.

There have also been false rumours circulating that Bieber had died, that he had joined a cult, and that his mother was offered $50,000 to pose topless in Playboy magazine.

Beiber seems to be having a slight sense of humor about it all. "Let's take some time to answer some crazy (rumors)... I'm not dead," Bieber wrote in just one of his Twitter postings. "I had to check on this one... but it turns out Im alive."

And last week he wrote: "My mom is a moral woman... let's just leave that one for what it is... because that rumor just grossed and weirded me out."

[Top_Story_Weekly]

Maybe it wasn't a prank - maybe North Korea's Supreme Leader is also the world's biggest Belieber!!!

http://www.topstoryweekly.com/2010/07/27/watch-supreme-belieber-from-top-story-weekly-episode-61-there-will-be-true-blood/

[JayAdler1]

I would rather stay home and listen to my old Art Tatum records. If Bieber punks out of this concert he will be made to be incredible which will not be difficult to accomplish. On the other hand I doubt if our diplomatic officials would allow this tour anyway.We do not want to exacerbate tensions around the world.

[Dead_Panda_Comedy]

hey check out this funny skit about the North Korean World Cup game

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quwOnXSYztM

see more at www.deadpandacomedy.com

[presjfk]

Justin should consider going to North Korea. Any cultural exchange including a concert can only help relations.

[rondivoo]

justin who??

[Govgirl]

I think that he should visit El Salvador - students of mine recently returned from a trip to an orphanage and unwed mothers home there. The only english most of the children could speak came from, you guessed it, Justin Beiber songs. It was hilarious.

[Pievendor]

Ohh god, so hillarious!

"putting it several thousands of votes ahead of Israel."

Yes, Im sure that Israel is one of the biggest Bieber fans in the world! In all honesty, and obvious winner would be either USA, England, or ANY major developed country that is heavily influenced by pop and has a large amount of teen girls with internet. And you can all see how Israel fits this description perfectly right? :)

[RMcD94]

England isn't an independent country idiot.

[bobnjersey]

[England isn't an independent country idiot.]

yes it is.