If there was one group I wouldn’t want to make enemies of, it’s probably K-pop stans…
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has declared a new war on South Korean culture, describing its most famous cultural export as a “vicious cancer.”
Having already tried to ban skinny jeans and mullets in his fight against capitalism and Americanism, Kim Jong-un has now turned his attention to the culture of North Korea’s neighbours South Korea.
The New York Times reported on June 11 that Jong-un declared a new culture war to halt the spread and influence of South Korean movies, K-dramas and K-pop videos to his citizens through a secretive anti-K-pop campaign.
He described the fun, colourful and energetic music genre as a “vicious cancer,” Jong-un has now introduced a law saying that anyone in North Korea found to be in possession or watching “South Korean entertainment” can be punished with between five and 15 years of hard labor.
The “anti-socialist” cultural material from South Korea apparently negatively affects the “attire, hairstyles, speeches, behaviour” of North Koreans.
After the announcement of the banned fashion, hairstyles and entertainment forms, state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmum said: “History teaches us a crucial lesson that a country can become vulnerable and eventually collapse like a damp wall regardless of its economic and defense power if we do not hold on to our own lifestyle.”
State media has also warned that if left unchecked, K-pop could cause North Korea to “crumble like a damp wall.”
K-pop has spread over the world like wildfire in recent years, with K-pop boy band BTS now easily one of the biggest music acts in the world. It seems the youngsters in North Korea are struggling to ignore the global phenomenon.
Of all the threats to North Korea and Kim’s dictatorship, I must admit I didn’t see K-pop being the main one…
