A song praising North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has become a viral sensation on TikTok, garnering both praise and amusement from users. The song, titled "Friendly Father," celebrates Kim's leadership and has sparked discussions about the role of music in North Korean society.
North Korea's propaganda machine has taken an unexpected turn with the release of a song praising leader Kim Jong Un that has gone viral on TikTok.
"Let’s sing Kim Jong Un, the great leader," the song called "Friendly Father" says, according to BBC News. "Let’s brag about Kim Jong Un, our friendly father."
The song's upbeat melody and simple lyrics have resonated with TikTok users, many of whom have posted videos of themselves dancing and singing along.
"Is this a single or where can I get the whole album," one TikToker joked.
Another said, "It’s so dystopian in the catchiest way."
"I don't really like Kim Jong Un but he was really cooking on this song," another said.
The song's popularity on TikTok is a departure from the more traditional propaganda songs that have dominated North Korean airwaves in the past.
"When you listen to North Korean music, you have no emotions," North Korean defector Ryu Hee-Jin told The Washington Post in 2019. "But when you listen to American or South Korean music, it literally gives you the chills. The lyrics are so fresh, so relatable. When kids listen to this music, their facial expressions just change."
However, experts say that "Friendly Father" is likely still part of North Korea's propaganda efforts.
"The song has Abba written all over it. It's upbeat, it could not be more catchy and a rich set of orchestral-sounding sequences could not be more prominent," Peter Moody, a North Korea expert at Korea University, told BBC News.
Alexandra Leonzini of Cambridge University said that North Korean authorities would have sought to make an "earworm" song with simple lyrics that’s easy to sing.
"All artistic output in North Korea must serve the class education of citizens and more specifically educate them as to why they should feel a sense of gratitude, a sense of loyalty to the party," she said.
Defectors have said the government plays propaganda songs every morning throughout the country, citizens are taught choreographed dances to the songs and the lyrics are printed in newspapers.
"By the time the song has sort of been taken into the body, it’s become part of the person," Keith Howard, a professor at the London School of African and Oriental Studies, said.
"So, they know the lyrics so well, even if they're just doing the actions, even if they're just listening to it. A good ideological song does that. It needs to embed the message."
The song's popularity on TikTok is a reminder that even the most repressive regimes cannot fully control the flow of information and culture.
