North Korea propaganda song about Kim Jong Un becomes a hit on TikTok

All sorts of weird and wonderful things go viral on TikTok from time to time, but the video platform’s recent obsession with North Korean propaganda might be one of the strangest trends yet.

A song about Kim Jong Un has racked up hundreds of thousands of views, and it's somehow become one of the most talked-about tracks of the year among social media users.

The song in question is called 'Friendly Father' and is full of praise for the dictator.

However, people are unironically loving the track and sharing their reactions to the unexpected hit.

The surprisingly catchy tune features lyrics praising the leader, with lines such as "let's sing Kim Jong Un, the great leader" and "let's brag about Kim Jong Un, our friendly father".

The music video also features hosts of happy faces, giving their support to Kim Jong Un and also shows North Korean TV news host Ri Chun-Lee.

Matas Kardokas is one of the TikTok users to post videos about the song as the song has been shared far and wide on the platform over recent days.

@Lordmatalas/TikTok/Getty

Alexandra Leonzini is a Cambridge University scholar who researches North Korean music. She spoke to BBC News about the track, saying: "The idea is they want to motivate, to strive towards a common goal for the benefit of the nation… they don't tend to produce songs like ballads.”

Leonzini went on: “All artistic output in North Korea must serve the class education of citizens and more specifically educate them as to why they should feel a sense of gratitude, a sense of loyalty to the party.

“Songs are used to telegraph the direction the state is going in… to signpost important moments and important developments in politics. A song is almost like the newspaper in North Korea.”

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