South Korea banned a propaganda song from North Korea, which got popularity in TikTok, as it adored Pyongyang’s leader Kim Jong Un as a ‘friendly father’ and ‘great leader’.
‘The music video, which got popularity on TikTok after it was released in April, violated the National Security Act of the country’, said the media regulator of South Korea.
‘The song idolises Kim Jong Un and glorifies him’ said Seoul’s Korea Communications Standards Commission, in a statement on Monday.
Under the Security Act which penalises behaviours and speeches that are in favour of Kim Jong Un’s regime, access to the government websites and media of North Korea has been blocked.
The Commission said the Friendly Father music video’s 29 versions will be blocked. It said, ‘The decision to block the song was taken after a request by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service’.
‘The video is typical content linked to psychological warfare against South Korea, as it was posted on a channel operated to connect with the outside world and is mainly focused on unilaterally idolising and glorifying Kim’, said the regulator.
South Koreans interest in the viral song increased after the imposition of a ban was announced. Some South Koreans said that the video should be left accessible so that more people can enjoy the joke.
‘Friendly Father’ has emerged as the latest among the pop songs by the propaganda machine of Pyongyang in the past 50 years.
In the song, Kim has been described as ‘father; and ‘the Great’, which are the terms that were earlier reserved for the first leader of North Korea Kim Il Sung.
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