Kim Jong Un's propaganda hit takes TikTok by storm
A North Korean propaganda song extolling Kim Jong Un has taken the TikTok platform by storm, amassing millions of views.
The song "Friendly Father" extols the country's authoritarian leader and, surprisingly, draws a significant following among young Generation Z viewers globally. TikTok users share their reactions to the song, and some even upload videos of themselves dancing to its rhythm, attracting thousands or millions of views.
The music video for the song shows a beaming Kim surrounded by happy characters and Koreans giving thumbs up to the camera, including the country's renowned news presenter, Ri Chun-Lee.
The song aims to become an earworm for Koreans
In a BBC News interview, Alexandra Leonzini, a scholarship recipient at the University of Cambridge who studies North Korean music, noted that in a country where the state controls the music industry, music serves as another propaganda tool for the isolated regime.
"All artistic creation in North Korea is intended to serve the class education of citizens, specifically to instill a sense of gratitude and loyalty towards the party," the expert asserts.
