TGIS: Thank God It's Schadenfreude! (322)

This week's joy in the misfortune of others comes courtesy of Reuters (from Wednesday, June 1; link good at time of posting):

Italy foiled an attempt by North Korea to import tap-dancing shoes in breach of a U.N. ban on the sale of luxury goods to Pyongyang, according to a U.N. report on the enforcement of sanctions against the North.

....

"In December 2010, a shipment of high-quality tap-dancing shoes was blocked at Orio al Serio Airport (Milan)," said the report by the so-called U.N. Panel of Experts, which monitors compliance with U.N. sanctions against North Korea.

A U.N. diplomat told Reuters on Tuesday that the seized shipment involved several dozen pairs of tap-dancing shoes. He said that it was not clear how the tap shoes might fit into North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's lavish lifestyle, which includes grandiose stage performances by North Korean performers.

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