Propaganda song on Kim becomes TikTok sensation

Tune aimed at bringing N. Korean leader closer to the common man a hit outside country

- Wendy Teo

SEOUL What do North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and American pop star Taylor Swift have in common? Hit music that is trending at the same time, as unlikely as it sounds.

A new propaganda song aimed at bringing Mr Kim closer to the common man a shift from the regime's usual rhetoric of idolatry towards its leaders - has gone viral on the short-video platform TikTok.

Even though such propaganda is directed at the domestic audience, the song Friendly Parent has achieved unexpected success in other parts of the world.

Since it was released in North Korea on April 16, the upbeat jingle has caught the attention of TikTok users outside the country, who either sang its praises or showed off their K-pop moves to the music, with some videos racking up as many as two million views.

One TikTok user uploaded the full music video along with the caption: "Now this is real K-pop".

Others hailed it as the top song of the summer and quipped that it stole the thunder from songbird Swift, who had released her new album, The Tortured Poets Department, just three days later on April 19.

Friendly Parent has since made its way to music streaming app Spotify, and there are even instructional videos on YouTube teaching viewers how to play the melody on the piano.

The song, which runs for 3½ minutes, has lyrics extolling Mr Kim as having the warmth of a mother's embrace and the compassion of a father's embrace, and expressing gratitude to him for creating a "bright future" for North Korea.