North Korea Releases A Catchy Song That Praises Kim Jong-Un As A 'Friendly Father'
The viral song is titled 'Friendly Father' and some users have called it "dystopian in the catchiest way".
By Sukhbir Cheema — 06 May 2024, 03:16 PM
A catchy song from North Korea that praises leader Kim Jong-un as a fatherly figure has gone viral online
The three-minute 49-second song, titled Friendly Father, has caught the attention of many around the world.
"Let's sing Kim Jong-un, the great leader/ Let's brag about Kim Jong-un, our friendly father," some of the lyrics to the song go.
Designed to be catchy, Friendly Father is among a line of propaganda songs released by the Communist state
The tune of the song is ABBA-esque but with a Soviet twist. Accompanying the peppy and bright-tempoed song are visuals of happy North Koreans who enthusiastically sing, show thumbs up, or swoon over their leader.
Kim himself appears in the video, surrounded by women, children, workers, and soldiers who are seemingly delighted to be near him.
Analysts who have been scrutinising the lyrics said the song is shoring up Kim's image as Supreme Leader
When Kim came to power in December 2011 following his father's death, he was called the 'Great Successor'.
In Friendly Father, however, he is referred to as a 'father' and 'the Great'. These terms were previously reserved for North Korea's first leader and Kim's grandfather, Kim II-sung.
As North Korea becomes increasingly hostile to its neighbours and intends to build its military, experts believe that the song is deeply symbolic as it also reveals where the nation is headed.
"Songs are used to telegraph the direction the state is going in… to signpost important moments and important developments in politics. A song is almost like the newspaper in North Korea," Cambridge University scholar who researches North Korean music, Alexandra Leonzini said to the BBC.
