This song is catchy and going viral. It is also North Korean propaganda.

SEOUL – Jordan Daniels, a 31-year-old pianist and software developer from California, posted a cover of a catchy new song on TikTok.

One aspect of the song “Friendly Father” made Daniels uncomfortable: It is propaganda from North Korea, the communist country led by the brutal ruler Kim Jong Un.

“He’s like a dictator,” Daniels said. “But man, that catchy song is actually pretty good.”

His video, which has now been viewed over 19,000 times, included a disclaimer that he did not support the Kim regime in any way.

North Korea’s propaganda music is meant to be memorable – and to keep the population on board. Now the songs are finding a new audience. Generation Z members and other young people around the world are dancing to “Friendly Father” or posting remixed versions of it. Some fans jokingly compare the song’s popularity to Taylor Swift’s latest album.

“There’s a tendency to repost and engage in viral behavior without really realizing what you’re participating in,” noted Connor Blakley, founder of Youth Logic, a marketing agency targeting Gen Z. “Gen Z will do pretty much anything to feel important by getting more views.”

The music video for “Friendly Father” was banned from broadcast on South Korean television, but it was shown in a Japanese news segment.

“Trained to memorize”
Communist countries have long used music as a propaganda tool. China and the Soviet Union played upbeat patriotic tunes during the Cold War. But under Kim, the third-generation leader who took power in late 2011, North Korea has become the propaganda king with more experimental, pop-influenced music. Pyongyang has adopted more electronic strings, rock riffs and girl groups that resemble South Korea’s globally popular K-pop bands.

This represents a dramatic departure from traditional propaganda anthems as North Korea seeks to modernize its message for a new generation.

When North Korea releases a new propaganda song, it is broadcast on state television and played at train stations, factories and military bases, says Hyun-seung Lee, a 39-year-old North Korean defector who left the country in 2014. People are forced to recite the ideological music.

@jordandanielspiano Kim Jung Un Friendly Father on the piano #kimjungun #friendlyfather #korea #piano ♬ Original sound – Jordan Daniels679

Jeanne Kayaert, a 20-year-old Belgian influencer, danced and jumped to the horn-heavy tune in a 15-second TikTok clip. “The only K-pop I listen to,” the video’s caption read.

“I just wanted to jump on the trend,” Kayaert said, “and the algorithm worked.” Kayaert’s TikTok videos typically get several thousand views. The clip with “Friendly Father” has generated 1.7 million views.

Other communist countries have also had hits recently. In 2021, a remix of the Chinese propaganda song “Red Sun in the Sky,” which praises Mao Zedong, became popular on YouTube and TikTok. The song, originally released in 1975, has been edited to feature an AI version of former President Trump or the cartoon character SpongeBob singing the song.

Zoe Stephens used to lead tours to North Korea and publishes videos about life in the country. The 30-year-old British citizen sang along to North Korean songs during her visit before the Kim regime closed its borders in 2020 because of the pandemic. Still, she was surprised by the popularity of “Friendly Father” outside North Korea.

Stephens, who is studying in Taiwan, said many TikTok users probably don’t know what the song, which is rarely seen with subtitles, is about. “If they knew the lyrics better,” she said, “they would feel a little uncomfortable dancing to it.”

Write to Dasl Yoon at [email protected]