{"id":4802,"date":"2021-01-04T10:34:57","date_gmt":"2021-01-04T01:34:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.01.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/?p=4802"},"modified":"2021-01-13T11:54:10","modified_gmt":"2021-01-13T02:54:10","slug":"cultural-influence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2021\/01\/society-economy\/cultural-influence\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cOppa\u201d is Outlawed: Top-Secret Documents Detail Kim Jong-un\u2019s Direct Orders to Eliminate S. Korean Cultural Influence"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The cover of a recently-obtained top-secret document containing Kim Jong-un\u2019s remarks. Photographed by ASIAPRESS.<\/p><\/div>\n

On December 4, North Korea adopted the \u201cLaw on the Elimination of Reactionary Thought and Culture\u201d. Although the text of the law has not been made public, there is no doubt that the target is \u201cHallyu\u201d- the South Korean cultural wave.<\/p>\n

Previously, Kim Jong-un set up a new organization to enforce control of the \u201cKorean Wave\u201d and was pushing strongly for more than a year for the adoption of the new law. Recently, ASIAPRESS obtained several secret documents prepared by the Workers' Party and investigated the actual measures of control enforced within the country. This article is the first in a series of reports on Kim Jong-un\u2019s new policy of inciting \u201cAnti-South Korean sentiment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u25c6What were Kim Jong-un\u2019s top-secret remarks?<\/h2>\n

The first of the documents obtained by ASIAPRESS is entitled \u201cRemarks from the Honourable Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un to Laborers at the Party Central Committee on September 10, 2020.<\/strong>\u201d The 3-page long document was designated as \u201ctop-secret.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n

The document lists institutions and positions for its limited distribution and was created to pass on Kim Jong-un's instructional remarks at the Workers' Party Central Committee to senior party and administrative officials across the country.<\/p>\n

Based on these \"words of encouragement,\" each organization will prepare a separate document that defines its enforcement policy and the content of its political thought education program for its members. This will be discussed in more detail later.<\/p>\n

\u25c6Kim Jong-un criticized \u201cOppa and Tonsen\u201d as \u201cperverted and puppet words.\u201d<\/h2>\n

The full text of Kim Jong-un's \u201cremarks\u201d is as follows:
\n\u201cWe must strongly eradicate the [South Korean] \u2018puppet words\u2019 and \u2018puppet style\u2019 in our society.<\/p>\n

In the past, I have repeatedly warned against the phenomenon of young men and women who are not blood relatives using the \u2018puppet\u2019s language\u2019 such as \u2018oppa\u2019 (older brother) and \u2018dong-saeng\u2019 (younger sister, brother) to refer to each other.\u201d However, this phenomenon has not yet disappeared among some young people.<\/p>\n

This is a typical example of the perverted \u2018puppet language\u2019 and \u2018puppet style\u2019 that is widespread in our society.
\nThe phenomenon of using \u2018puppet words\u2019 has appeared among some artists as well. Among the younger generation, they may refer to each other that way, but we have to better educate them so that such a phenomenon will never occur among the Youth Alliance and other young members of our country.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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The text of the document is designated top-secret. The upper line shows the words \"oppa\" and \"dong-saeng\" and the lower line shows Kim Jong-un\u2019s statement regarding the \u201cspreading of perverted puppet words and puppet style.\u201d Photographed by ASIAPRESS.<\/p><\/div>\n

Needless to say, the \u201cpuppet\u201d that Kim Jong-un refers to is South Korea. The implication is that South Korea is a puppet of the United States. In South Korea, the terms \"oppa\" and \"dong-saeng\" are commonly used between people who are close to each other. Kim Jong-un directly criticized this custom and has ordered what could be coined a \"word hunt.\u201d This shows the extent to which the \u201cKorean Wave\u201d has penetrated North Korean society.
\nNextPage: \u25c6South Korean-style text greetings such as... <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u25c6South Korean-style text greetings such as \u201cbye-bye,\u201d \u201cchal-ka,\u201d and \u201cty\u201d are popular among North Koreans<\/h2>\n

So, what kind of South Korean-style words are actually being used in North Korea and what kind of enforcement is in place to crack down on it? A reporting partner living in the northern part of the country together with their junior<\/p>\n

high school-age child explained as follows:
\n\u201cThe target of the crackdown is the text messages on cell phones. It has been a while since South Korean dramas first came to North Korea, right? Since cell phones have become common recently, young people are using South Korean phrases in their text messages. For example, almost all young people are using \u2018saranghaeyeong\u2019 (I love you), \u2018chal-ka\u2019 (see you), \u2018bye-bye,\u2019 and \u2018ty\u2019 (the english abbreviation for thank you) in their texts.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

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A video message made by a junior high school student in North Korea to celebrate her friend's birthday. The South Korean religious expression \"I will pray for you\" can be seen in the video. Video obtained in November 2013 by ASIAPRESS.<\/p><\/div>\n

In North Korea, there are organizations such as the \u201c109 Sangmu,\u201d the \u201cAnti-Socialist Censorship Group,\u201d (Bi-sa Group for short), and \u201cInspection Teams\u201d that crack down on non-socialist phenomena (referred to simply as \u201cBi-sa\u201d). They inspect people\u2019s clothes and hairstyles on the streets as well investigate the dissemination, trafficking and viewing of South Korean dramas. When stopping pedestrians, inspectors force them open their cell phones and inspect their text messages, photos, and videos. If someone refuses to divulge the passcode for their phone, the device will be confiscated and unlocked by a specialist at the station.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there are any expressions in the text messages that are not used in North Korea, the owner of the device will be suspected of watching South Korean dramas and will be interrogated. Inspectors also check the text messages for any rumors or complaints about difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, students and young people are clever, so they are very careful to delete their text messages as soon as possible after sending them.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition, young people are increasingly converting and copying videos that can be played on cell phones and forwarding them on to friends, which is also a cause for authorities' alarm.<\/p>\n

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North Korea\u2019s new luxury smartphone, \u201cthe Phurunhanul\u201d (Blue Sky) sent by a reporting partner to ASIAPRESS in January 2020. Photographed by ASIAPRESS.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u25c6 North Korean parents giving their children South Korean-style names<\/h2>\n

The influence of the \u2018Korean Wave\u2019 is not limited to young people. The number of parents giving their children South Korean names has been increasing, with the practice becoming a target of law enforcement this year.<\/p>\n

A reporting partner explained, \u201cOn Kim Jong-un\u2019s direct orders, the resident registration division of the police department have blocked residents from registering \u2018bullshit names\u2019 that are not written in Chinese characters or that do not match the values of socialism, in some cases forcing residents to rename their children.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

Why is Kim Jong-un so wary of the influx and spread of the \u2018Korean Wave\u2019? And what punishment will be meted out to the young people who are caught by the crackdown? To explore these questions further, ASIAPRESS has analyzed other recently-obtained internal documents, which outline Kim Jong-un\u2019s policy for inciting hatred among the domestic population towards South Korea. (To be continued)<\/p>\n

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