North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is undertaking a crackdown on anybody found listening to K-Pop music in his state.
Internal documents smuggled out of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea showed the revered leader is actively working to suppress K-pop music, as originally reported by The New York Times. It labeled southern cultural imports a “vicious cancer” that is actively altering North Korean children’s “attire, hairstyles, speeches,” and “behaviors.”
In December, the 37-year-old leader announced new legislation as part of a new culture war, stating that anybody found having or partaking in South Korean content might be punished to five years of hard labor in a labor camp.
In December, the 37-year-old leader announced new legislation as part of a new culture war, stating that anybody found having or partaking in South Korean content might be punished to five years of hard labor in a labor camp. Anyone caught smuggling K-pop content could face execution, while those found writing, singing, or speaking in a “South Korean style” might face up to two years in a work camp.
Over the last year, Kim has been increasingly antagonistic to outside cultural influence, going so far as to ban mullets and skinny jeans in an effort to counteract it.
A recent post from the North Korean media warned that K-pop was a threat to North Korea, saying it could cause the state to “crumble like a damp wall” should it remain unchecked.
Jiro Ishimaru, Chief Editor of Asia Press International said: “If this is left unchecked, he fears that his people might start considering the South an alternative Korea to replace the North. To Kim Jong Un, the cultural invasion from South Korea has gone beyond a tolerable level.”
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