Several defector community sites have criticized Kim Jong Un for wearing shoes during a recent visit to Taesongsan General Hospital, a practice that is generally considered rude in Korean culture.

The North Korean Defector Comrade Society noted how Kim Jong Un is pictured in the state run newspaper Rodong Simnun, wearing shoes and sitting down while sick patients in socks stand in an upright position as a gesture of respect. He is also shown wearing shoes while playing with children at the hospital and during his visit to the Pyeongannam-do Orphanage last February.