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Why North Korea’s TikTok hit is so catchy

Parades, state media and songs all help spread government propaganda.

If you’ve been scrolling on TikTok recently, you might have come across the viral song out of North Korea called ‘Friendly Father’. It’s been released by the country’s leader Kim Jong Un. Frances Mao, from the Â鶹ԼÅÄ’s bureau in Singapore, explains why this song went viral, and what it tells us about the regime.

Over in Russia, the nation’s annual Victory Day has taken place, partly to show off Russia’s military capacity. We talk to the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Monitoring’s Alistair Coleman about what message these parades send. Plus, the Â鶹ԼÅÄ’s China analyst Kerry Allen describes China’s propaganda methods.

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Presenter: Alex Rhodes
Producers: Mora Morrison and Adam Chowdhury
Editor: Julia Ross-Roy

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12 minutes

Last on

Sat 11 May 2024 02:50GMT

Broadcasts

  • Fri 10 May 2024 17:50GMT
  • Sat 11 May 2024 02:50GMT

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