WSJ: "This Song Is Catchy and Going Viral. It’s Also North Korean Propaganda."

SEOUL—Jordan Daniels, a 31-year-old pianist and software engineer in California, posted a cover of a catchy new tune on TikTok.

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

“He’s like this dictator,” Daniels said. “But man, this catchy song is actually kind of good.”

His video, now viewed more than 19,000 times, carried a disclaimer that he didn’t support the Kim regime in any way.

North Korea’s propaganda music is made to be memorable—and to keep the population in line. Now, the songs are finding a new audience. Gen Z’ers and other young people around the globe are dancing to “Friendly Father” or posting remixed versions of it. Some fans jokingly compare the tune’s popularity to Taylor Swift’s latest album.

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

The “Friendly Father” music video has been banned from airing on South Korean television but aired on a Japanese news segment.

‘Trained to memorize’

Communist countries have long wielded music as a propaganda tool, with China and the Soviet Union blasting 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-inflected music. Pyongyang has adopted more electronic strings, rock riffs, and girl groups resembling the globally popular K-pop bands of South Korea.

This marks a dramatic departure from traditional propaganda anthems, as North Korea attempts to modernize its message for a new generation.

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

“When you’re trained to memorize these songs against your will, you end up remembering some of the songs for the rest of your life,” Lee said. North Korean tunes have always been catchy and emotional, but the transition to peppy energetic songs is aimed at grabbing the attention of the country’s Gen Z.

“Friendly Father” burst onto the scene in Pyongyang at an April ceremony marking the completion of a housing project. In a music video released by North Korean state media, a military official cries in Kim’s arms while pilots, construction workers and children sing along. “The people trust and follow with all our hearts, our friendly father,” they croon of Kim.

Peter Moody, a North Korea expert at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, notes that while Pyongyang launched the song for domestic consumption, it incidentally became popular on TikTok.

In late May, North Korean state media said the song, which it officially calls “Dear Father,” drew “thunderous applause” for its depiction of popular sentiment for Kim.

Part of the global fascination with the music relates to North Korea’s mysterious, secluded nature. The regime heavily controls information going in and out of the country, making Pyongyang’s tunes a rare window into daily life.

The song is also incredibly catchy. It has rich orchestral sounding sequences, a lead female vocalist backed up by other singers and an energetic beat that evokes ABBA, said Moody.

“The only difference is the content of the song,” Moody said. “It is almost as if North Korea is appropriating the pop culture of the outside world for its own purposes.”

When Blue Raver Chavez, a 17-year-old living in the Philippines, first heard the song, he was reminded of a 1990s Japanese anime tune. “This song is a banger,” he wrote on TikTok, the Chinese-owned app used by 170 million Americans.

Chavez made a video featuring Kim with a pink wig and cat ears, with “Friendly Father” playing in the background. It racked up one million views in 24 hours.

Jeanne Kayaert, a 20-year-old Belgian influencer, shimmied and cavorted to the horn-heavy tune in a 15-second TikTok clip. “The only kpop I’m listening to,” the video caption read.

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

Other communist countries have had recent hits. 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, was edited to show an AI version of former President Trump, or cartoon character SpongeBob, singing the song.

Zoe Stephens used to lead tours to North Korea, and posts videos about life inside the country. The 30-year-old British citizen found herself singing along to North Korean tunes when she visited, before the Kim regime closed its borders in 2020 because of the pandemic. Even so, she has been surprised by the popularity of “Friendly Father” outside of North Korea.

Stephens, who is studying in Taiwan, said many TikTok users probably don’t know what the song—rarely seen with subtitles—is about. “If they were more aware of the lyrics,” she said, “they would feel a little awkward dancing to it.”

Write to Dasl Yoon at dasl.yoon@wsj.com

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