The 'Death of Kim Jong-Il' meme stems from the intense and highly publicized displays of grief shown on North Korean state television following the leader's passing in December 2011. The footage featured citizens and soldiers weeping hysterically, which many international observers viewed as performative or coerced. On the internet, these images were quickly repurposed as a reaction meme to represent extreme, exaggerated sorrow over trivial inconveniences. It is frequently used to mock dramatic reactions to minor life events or to satirize the concept of forced public emotion in various social and political contexts.