South Korea has said it will ban a viral North Korean propaganda tune that extols Pyongyang’s dictator Kim Jong Un as a “friendly father” and “great leader”.
Seoul’s media regulator said the music video, which has become a hit on TikTok since its release in April, is a violation of the country’s Natio
The Security Act blocks access to the North’s government websites and media, and penalises behaviours and speeches in favour of the regime.
Twenty-nine versions of the Friendly Father music video will be blocked, the commission said, but it did not elaborate on how that would be done. The decision was prompted by a reuqest from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, it added.
Why North Korea’s latest propaganda bop is a huge TikTok hit
The impending ban has piqued the interest of South Koreans, many of whom have checked out the music video since the announcement, according to comments they have left on the video. Some commented that the authorities should leave the video accessible “so that more people can enjoy the joke”.
Friendly Father is the latest in a line of pop songs Pyongyang’s propaganda machine has churned out in the past 50 years.
The bright-tempoed, catchy hit describes Mr Kim as “father” and “the Great” – terms previously reserved for North Korea’s first leader, his grandfather Kim Il Sung.
Some TikTok users say the tune accompanies them at the gym or while doing homework, while others like its nostalgic style, saying it reminds them of older Spanish and French pop music.
The two Koreas have been divided since an armistice ended the Korean War in 1953.
They did not sign a peace treaty and therefore are technically still at war.
Violations of Seoul’s National Security Act can lead to up to seven years in jail, although enforcement of the law has eased recently. There have also been calls to review the law on free speech grounds.
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