As the debate over independence reaches fever pitch, Scotland's 'Yes' camp has gained an unlikely ally.
North Korea is apparently very keen to increase trade with a newly independent Edinburgh, according to officials of the secretive state.
Choe Kwan-il, the managing editor of the Choson Sinbo newspaper, told The Telegraph that independence will be positive for Scotland as it will allow the country to build on its relationship with North Korea.
The start of a beautiful relationship?
Choson Sinbo provides news to an estimated 200,000 Koreans who live in Japan, but "swear allegiance – and send vast amounts of financial support – to North Korea," the Telegraph reported.
"North Korea is rich in natural resources and we like the taste of Scotch whisky, so we can be beneficial to each other," he said.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is also said to enjoy drinks “all the time,” and last year spent £20 million on alcohol alone - so will perhaps be keen to secure a trade of Scottish whisky with Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond.
Choe added that North Koreans would be able to relate to those in Scotland who are hoping for a break from the UK.
"I believe that every person has the right to be a member of an independent nation, to have sovereignty, to live in peace and to enjoy equality," he said. "And I believe that a majority of Scots feel the same and will vote for independence," he said.
Along with North Korea, some of the globe’s most "black hated" antagonists have ruminated on the delicate matter of the British Union, with support falling on both sides of the fence.
Here are some of the world's elite "supervillains" that have also chimed in on the referendum:
Henry Kissinger:
'I do not welcome it'
Global "supervillain" Henry Kissinger has spoken out on the Scottish independence debate, telling Prospect Magazine that "anything that makes Britain smaller I do not welcome". Yet the former US Secretary of State is not the only nefarious character to offer council on the issue of Scotland’s proposed breakaway from the UK.
Rupert Murdoch:
'Openings for libertarians and the far left'
When not denying man made climate change or taking surreptitious meetings with the leader of Ukip, ageing media mogul Rupert Murdoch tweets out his support for the 'Yes' campaign and his "friend" Alex Salmond. According to Andrew Neil, Murdoch's backing for independence is payback for the roughing up Westminster handed out to the media baron during the phone hacking scandal.
Simon Cowell:
'We value our bonds of citizenship'
Tyrannical music Svengali Simon Cowell was a signatory to a letter signed by a raft of British celebrities (mainly English) asking Scots to vote to renew "our bonds of citizenship". Cowell was accompanied on the list by semi-evil fax-seller Alan Sugar and Sting, the latter almost making the cut for his Fields of Gold album.
Vladimir Putin:
'A domestic matter'
Vladimir Putin, onetime friend turned scourge of the West, was asked in January what he thought about Scottish independence, replying that it was a "domestic matter for the UK". The Russian leader added: "It's a choice for each and every people, according to their own circumstances." Tell that to the government in Kiev, comrade...
Sarah Palin:
Fake or real tweet?
Sarah Palin, erstwhile vice presidential nominee turned Tweeter, may have stuck her hunting boots into the debate last December, telling Scots "Let’s face facts. Secession is wrong for Scotland". There are strong rumours the Tweet was fake. Still, we like to think of Palin looking over at Holyrood from her window in Alaska…
Piers Morgan:
'You've had your fun'
Piers Morgan, the former grubby tabloid editor turned fired CNN anchor, is much maligned in both the US and UK, and though his stance on US gun safety was admirable, he’s got enough soiled linen in his closet to join the evil cohort. And how did he try and persuade the people of Scotland to vote ‘No’? With this tactfully crafted tweet:
Nigel Farage:
'They're being sold a pig in a poke'
The leader of Ukip, which boasts such stellar members as Godfrey Bloom as the chap that "saluted" a flower pot, has backed the Union, mocking Salmond in a recent interview on MSNBC for wanting to seize monetary policy from Westminster, only to hand it over to the European Union. He told the hosts, the First Minister was selling the people of Scotland a "pig in a poke".
Tony Abbott:
'Enemies of freedom and justice'
And then there’s Tony Abbott, the coral reef-hating, God believing Prime Minister of Australia, who in an August interview said that Scottish independence would be a win for the enemies of freedom and justice. “It’s hard to see how the world would be helped by an independent Scotland," he told The Times. The ‘Yes’ campaign responded by saying Abbott had "put his foot in it".