The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Unless you knew what happened for real inside this place, you’d probably think that this nation, via its name on its own, is a bit like the democrazy that’s Switzerland (where Swiss citizens are given the microphone 4 times a year — as in the ballot — to determine on everything, from tax raises to asinine proposals to ban minarets). “The People’s Paradise”, as North Korea’s Shanghai World Expo pavillion claims itself to be, seems to be “The People’s Choice” this time ’round in the Chinese-language Twittersphere.

For apparently no surprise. “The People’s Korea”, as it makes reference to itself, has long had a political love-affair with the PRC. Within days after the communist leadership was installed in Beijing, Pyongyang gave it almost-instant recognition. Kim Il-Sung and Mao Zedong were seen together a lot, and the tradition has continued with Kim Jong-Il and the three successive “generations” of Chinese leadership, although as of late Kim Jong-Il has a new practice of coming into China in total secrecy to the extent that even his waste is transported back to Kimland. (It’s rumored Kim Jong-Il is gravely ill, and in 2009 pictures with Chinese premier Wen Jiabao, Kim appeared downright awful.)

North Korea’s an unexpected love in the Chinese Twittersphere — and it’s less about the mutual communism than about the fact that people have no idea what the world’s remaining Communist dictatorship can do. Its goal against Brazil shocked the masses, although, unsurprisingly, Brazil outdid the North Koreans.

There’s another point of commonality between the DPRK and the PRC in the Chinese-language Twittersphere: it’s how they’re referred to. North Korea calls itself Chosun (朝鮮), unlike South Korea calling itself Hangeug (韓國). As it’s north of the 38th parallel, some call it North Chosun (北朝鮮). With the Chinese government closing more websites than conceivable, some are thinking if the PRC is in a love affair with the DPRK, rhetoric-wise. No surprise, then, that the two socialist comrades share the Chosun (朝鮮) moniker: as China’s west of the DPRK, tweeps sometimes give the PRC the nickname West Chosun (西朝鮮), poking fun at the Chinese Net censors.

Tomorrow, North Korea’s at it again. And of course, there’ll be a fair deal of tongue-in-cheek support for the DPRK. Including the thousands of Chinese dressed up to be North Korean cheerleaders in South Africa.