South Korea bans viral TikTok song praising Kim Jong-un

South Korea’s Communications Standards Commission has said it will ban TikTok videos that feature a viral song appearing to idolize North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, describing the clips as “psychological warfare” and a violation of national laws.

The track, called Friendly Father and described by Seoul as North Korean propaganda, went viral on the Chinese-owned platform back in April. The lyrics of the uptempo tune have been translated as: “Let’s sing about Kim Jong-un, our great leader; Let’s boast about Kim Jong-un, Our friendly father; We all trust and follow him with all our hearts, Our friendly father.” 

In a press release on Monday, the South Korean regulator said that it will block 29 versions of the Friendly Father video after a request from the country’s National Intelligence Service. It is not explained how the ban will be enforced.

The commission stressed that the videos violate the National Security Act which prohibits access to North Korean government websites and media, and penalizes behavior and speech in favor of the Pyongyang leadership.

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The regulator explained in its statement that the ‘Friendly Father’ video is “typical content” linked to Pyongyang’s “psychological warfare against South Korea,” as it was posted on a channel “focused on connecting North Korea with the outside world through unilaterally idolizing and glorifying Kim.”

South Korean TikTok users, however, have asked the authorities not to block the viral video, suggesting that no one is actually taking the song’s lyrics seriously and that it should be left available so that “more people can enjoy the joke.”

Many users have also admitted that they find the tune catchy and reminiscent of older European pop music.