Even though the lyrics were changed, North Korean residents still sing ‘General Kim Jong-il’

Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the North Korean Workers’ Party, reported on May 15 that “the completion ceremony for Vanguard Street was held in a grand manner on the 14th.” On this day, Chairman Kim Jong-un attended the completion ceremony with his daughter and personally cut the completion tape. /Photo = Rodong Sinmun/News 1

It is known that North Korean residents are still singing propaganda songs praising Kim Jong-il. It is said that although the North Korean authorities changed the lyrics that directly praise Kim Jong-il to be sung differently, residents are still singing the old, familiar lyrics.

On the 8th, a source from Daily NK in Hamgyeongbuk-do said, “At a training lecture at a factory in Chongjin on the 30th of last month, the union chairman ordered them to sing ‘Let’s Love My Country’ and start learning, and most of the union members said that it was the general. “I sang it with the lyrics of a previous song that contained words,” he said.

The North Korean propaganda song ‘Let’s Love My Homeland’ was released in 1995, and the original chorus lyrics contained expressions of praise for Kim Jong-il, such as ‘Let’s love my homeland, the arms of General Kim Jong-il.’

Then, in 2021, North Korea renamed ‘General Kim Jong-il’s arms’ to ‘Infinitely gracious arms’ and re-announced it to the people. Direct expressions of praise for Kim Jong-il were deleted.

In fact, until 2020, songs with old lyrics were played on media such as Chosun Central TV, but from 2021, it can be seen that songs with changed lyrics are being sung not only on broadcast media but also at major anniversary events. It was also sung with changed lyrics at a performance commemorating the completion of Avant-garde Street in Pyongyang’s Seopo District held last May.

North Korea is currently strengthening its efforts to idolize Kim Jong-un and erase its legacy.

In relation to this, the ‘Juche’ era name based on 1912, the year of Kim Il-sung‘s birth, was abolished by the Rodong Sinmun, the ‘Day of the Sun’, Kim Il-sung’s birthday, was replaced with the April 15th holiday, and a portrait insignia with the face of Chairman Kim Jong-un engraved on its own was installed. It was also produced and distributed.

The modification of lyrics praising Kim Jong-il in propaganda songs is also interpreted in this context.

‘Let’s Love My Country’ is a propaganda song that is often sung at various events and performances, as well as learning and singing gatherings, and parades, and is a very familiar song to North Korean residents. For this reason, even though the authorities continue to broadcast revised songs, North Korean residents continue to sing with the old lyrics in their mouths.

The source said, “Not only older people in their 50s and 60s, but also young people sing with the original lyrics,” adding, “Even when organizations such as the Youth League conduct training or sing during a singing parade, they still sing ‘In the arms of General Kim Jong-il.’ “There are many cases,” he said.

The source said that although it is not a problem to sing with previous lyrics, it often breaks the flow in the middle of the song and creates a messy situation.

“It is not easy to change the lyrics once they are engraved in one’s head,” the source said. “The state continues to encourage people to sing with the changed lyrics, but the majority of people are still unable to change them and sing General Kim Jong-il’s song.”