Nov. 13 (UPI) -- North Korea could be expanding its social media presence with at least two new Twitter accounts, but the South says the online profiles cannot be verified.
The two accounts, under the names of Kim Myong Il and Han Song Il, were created in October and include tweets condemning South Korea's main opposition conservatives and promoting the Kim Jong Un regime, South Korea's SBS reported Friday.
On Twitter, Kim Myong Il, or @korea_myongil, was identified as the head of the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland. Han Song Il's profile indicated the official is the chief of the Research Institute of Reunification of the Fatherland. Kim's profile read that he is an official with "feet planted firmly on native soil, while looking out to the world."
The accounts included information on the latest North Korean policies, including the public smoking ban. According to tweets the officials enjoy smoking but have "resolved to quit smoking" in line with policy.
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Activity on the accounts began on Oct. 1, with new tweets being published at one- or two-day intervals. On Oct. 21, Kim Myong Il condemned the South for conducting defense drills amid COVID-19 and African swine fever. Tweets were also published in English, Chinese and Japanese in addition to Korean, according to South Korean newspaper Donga Ilbo.
Unification Ministry spokeswoman Cho Hye-sil said at a regular press briefing on Friday the North operates various accounts on social media platforms, including state media services DPRK Today and Uriminzokkiri.
Cho said the new accounts, possibly the first profiles identifying individual North Korean officials, are "difficult to verify," according to SBS.
North Korea has kept quiet following the U.S. presidential election, as world leaders took turns congratulating President-elect Joe Biden.
Analysts in the South say they are concerned Pyongyang could test Biden with military provocations, News 1 reported Friday.
Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said during a seminar organized by Seoul's Joint Forces Military University and the Korea Association of Military Studies that he is worried North Korea could test a missile during the transition, according to the report.
