When the handlers of Justin Bieber decided to host a public vote for where the teen heartthrob would perform next, they probably didn't have North Korea in mind. However, thanks to a group of pranksters at the imageboard site 4chan, the authoritarian communist nation is leading the poll.

With only one day of voting left, North Korea boasts 570,139 votes, outstripping the next-highest country Israel, which has received 563,383. However, it's safe to say the 16-year-old Canadian singer probably won't be headed to Pyongyang anytime soon. The fact that almost all North Koreans are denied Internet access suggests the votes are coming from outside the country. On top of that, 4chan users—who already rigged Time's Top 100 list—clearly organized a "send him to North Korea" campaign.

However, The Wire is still holding out hope that he might make it to the Hermit Kingdom. A spokesman for the North Korean embassy helpfully tells the BBC 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."

Screen shots of Beiber's My World Tour promotional poster and online poll page below:

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John Hudson