Kim Jong-un "Hello Kitty is really pretty"... North Korea's 'Nae-ro-nam-bul'

North Ministry of Foreign Affairs Posts Propaganda Anecdote Involving Sock Factory
"Comrade Leader Overflowed with Joy Seeing Kitty Socks"
Allows Mainly 'Children's Content' with Less Ideological Risk
Anti-Reactionary Thought and Culture Rejection Law... Execution for Exposure to Foreign Culture

"Kitty socks are really pretty... Are there socks with Poo on them too?"

A contradictory anecdote has been reported that Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, who has strongly controlled the influx of foreign culture and fostered hostility, was greatly pleased when he saw children's socks featuring overseas characters. North Korean authorities have been criticized for wrapping unauthorized use of characters as the supreme leader's 'love for the people,' revealing a self-contradictory stance.

According to related authorities on the 24th, the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted an article titled "Stories from the Pyongyang Sock Factory" on the 21st, sharing an anecdote about Chairman Kim Jong Un related to this factory. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "This is an anecdote that conveys the warm love of Comrade Kim Jong Un," and explained, "He saw the 'Kitty' socks with a cute cat drawn on the ankle displayed in the product sample room and said, 'They are pretty.'” It further explained, "He asked, 'Are there Poo (Winnie the Pooh) socks too?' and joyfully said, 'Children would like to wear children's socks like these samples.'"

It is somewhat unusual that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs used the exact names of overseas characters such as 'Kitty' and 'Poo' when introducing an anecdote about Kim Jong Un. Hello Kitty is a character of Japan's Sanrio, and Winnie the Pooh belongs to the American Walt Disney Company. Considering that the North Korean leadership has consistently fostered hostility toward the U.S. and frequently expressed anti-Japanese sentiment, this is a contradictory behavior. Especially revealing this through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggests that they intended to publicize the unauthorized use of characters with an eye toward external exposure.

The 'Pyongyang Sock Factory' introduced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is known to have been constructed under the direction of President Kim Il Sung on June 20, 1962, 61 years ago. It is presumed that the promotional anecdote was posted on the website on the 21st to coincide with this anniversary. Previously, in August 2014, Chairman Kim visited the factory, held a pair of black women's stockings, and ordered 'domestication.' At that time, the Rodong Sinmun extensively reported this news on its front page.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained, "After the brutal Fatherland Liberation War ended, the great Comrade Kim Il Sung, who was deeply pained to see children barefoot in the wind, established a knitting factory capable of producing socks and other items." It further explained that Kim Jong Un has devoted great effort to developing this factory into a leading sock production base to fulfill the 'aspirations of the previous generation' and strives to provide socks that suit the tastes and preferences of the people.

North Korea, which is especially wary of and strictly controls the influx of Western ideology and culture, has shown a particular weakness for 'characters.' In early last month, a Disney animation was spotted in a documentary aired by North Korea's Korean Central Television. Children of high-ranking party officials studied English using Disney's hit movie "Frozen" in a classroom at the elite Segori Primary and Secondary School located in Pyongyang in 2013.

Additionally, earlier this year, a scene was captured showing the corridor of a children's hospital decorated with pictures of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," and in 2012, dancers dressed as "Mickey Mouse" and "Winnie the Pooh" appeared in a Moranbong Band performance. Last year, a children's picture book imitating the Dutch character "Miffy" was published, and in 2016, DVDs such as "Finding Nemo" and "Beauty and the Beast" were spotted at market stalls operated by the authorities.

However, it is difficult to see that North Korean authorities have lowered the level of control over foreign culture. North Korea's 'selective allowance' generally shares the commonality of being 'children's content' with low ideological risk. A female defector in her 40s from Pyongyang told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "Many children carry bags with characters, including the American animation 'Minions,'" adding, "Residents also know these are foreign characters."

North Korean residents still face severe punishment under the 2020 Enactment of the Law on the Rejection of Reactionary Thought and Culture if they access foreign movies, broadcasts, music, etc., arbitrarily. For example, news was reported last October that two teenagers who watched and distributed South Korean movies and dramas were publicly executed by firing squad. There are also testimonies that 'Gruppa,' inspectors who monitor foreign influences such as hairstyles among residents, are active.

A defector from the North Korean military said, "Kim Jong Un himself introduced Mickey Mouse in a Moranbong Band performance and said, 'We must boldly accept good things from other countries and make them our own.' He is the primary promoter of foreign influence while simultaneously enforcing an unreasonable terror policy threatening execution for watching foreign videos at will. Residents are also very dissatisfied," he criticized.