In search of his legacy: Kim Jong Un commissions bizarre propaganda video praising himself

“Friendly father”, “great leader” — praises for Kim Jong Un are endless in the latest song released by North Korea which appears to be part of a propaganda drive to enhance the leader’s standing in the reclusive state.

The music video of the song was also aired on the state-controlled Korean Central Television on Wednesday.

Kim Jong Un new music video

The video of the upbeat song titled “Friendly Father” shows Kim in different backgrounds: in some, he appears with children, while in others with troops and with medical staff. In all of them, Kim’s subjects are singing lines such as: “Let’s sing, Kim Jong Un the great leader” and “Let’s brag about Kim Jong Un, a friendly father”.

The video is also interspersed with scenes of enthusiastic soldiers and citizens, jumping and leaping with joy all the while enthusiastically showing a thumbs-up sign, NK News reported.

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According to a report by SkyNews, the song was played for the first time on Tuesday at a ceremony to celebrate the opening of a new housing development, involving 10,000 homes in a district in Pyongyang.

Kim watched the song at the event where there was also a live performance that was accompanied by an orchestra. There were fireworks and a flyover by the Korean People’s Army Air Force, KCTV reported.

North Korea released a new song "Friendly Father" praising leader Kim Jong Un#IranIsraelConflict pic.twitter.com/quBRhdalsT

— Jackson Chakma (@jackck_8) April 19, 2024

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The release of the song comes at time when North Korean state media has recently changed the name it uses for a public holiday, prompting speculation that the move is part of efforts to solidify Kim’s position.

Instead of calling the annual public holiday celebrating the birth of the country’s founder Kim Il Sung “Day of the Sun”, state media has started mostly referring to it as the more neutral “April holiday”.

These amendments might be part of an effort by Kim to establish his own authority, rather than relying on that of his predecessors, a report by Reuters quoted an official at South Korea’s Unification Ministry as saying.

With inputs from agencies