Kim Jong Un’s reported use of ‘South Korean’ words is exaggerated, experts say
North Korea has cracked down on ROK expressions, but the terms leader used in recent speech are just rare, not forbidden
Kim Jong Un addressing North Korean flood victims against a background of South Korea's National Hangeul Museum | Image: KCNA (Aug. 10, 2024), ROK Presidential Office (Oct. 5, 2023), edited by NK News
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s reported use of South Korean words and expressions in a recent speech has become the subject of widespread scrutiny in ROK media, with outlets singling out the apparent hypocrisy of using such language as the regime cracks down on cultural infiltration.
But while Kim did indeed use terms that are uncommon in the DPRK, experts told NK News that many of the words are not actually exclusive to South Korea, suggesting that reports have exaggerated the significance of the leader’s turns of phrase.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s reported use of South Korean words and expressions in a recent speech has become the subject of widespread scrutiny in ROK media, with outlets singling out the apparent hypocrisy of using such language as the regime cracks down on cultural infiltration.
But while Kim did indeed use terms that are uncommon in the DPRK, experts told NK News that many of the words are not actually exclusive to South Korea, suggesting that reports have exaggerated the significance of the leader’s turns of phrase.
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