North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has attacked Korean pop music, describing it as an "evil cancer" that deserves execution. He declared war on South Korean "K-Pop," labeling it as "debased" and a negative cultural influence on the country’s youth. Kim considers this music style, which has gained popularity beyond the borders of both Koreas, to be a "malignant cancer" corrupting the youth's attire, hairstyles, and behaviors, according to the British newspaper "Express," citing the "New York Times."
According to local media reports, a set of laws was issued in Pyongyang last December stating that anyone found watching or possessing content from South Korea could be arrested, with sentences potentially reaching 15 years of hard labor. The laws also stipulated a two-year prison sentence for anyone caught singing, speaking, or writing in a "South Korean style." Under the new laws, those who smuggle "K-Pop" or any content from South Korean media could face the death penalty. According to the "Daily North Korea" newspaper, a North Korean citizen was executed by firing squad for selling discs containing South Korean music.
Kim aims to tighten control over the youth and reduce the growing influence of South Korean media, as he is perceived by Jiro Ishimaru, editor-in-chief of "Asia Press International," to view cultural invasion as a precursor to a more dangerous invasion. Jiro explained, "Kim fears that his people will begin to see South Korea as an alternative to North Korea if he does not intervene to stop this cultural tide from his neighbor."
Additionally, North Korean defector Young Gwang Il noted that North Korean youth believe they owe nothing to Kim, adding, "Kim is seeking to reassert his ideological control over the youth, ensuring that he does not lose power in the future."
