• Source:JND
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly banned the use of words such as "hamburger," "ice cream," and "karaoke", in a sweeping campaign to eliminate foreign cultural influence from the country. This move is part of a broader effort to replace commonly used loanwords and South Korean expressions with strictly approved North Korean terminology.

According to reports from Daily NK, the ban specifically targets the expanding tourism sector. Tour guides in North Korea are now undergoing intensive three-month training in cities like Wonsan, where they are forbidden from using Anglicised words, even when speaking to foreign visitors. The government’s aim is to enforce a linguistic policy that aligns strictly with socialist ideology and North Korean culture.

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From Ice Cream To ‘Eseukimo’

As part of the training, guides must adopt unique North Korean terms. For example, instead of "hamburger," they are instructed to say ‘dajin-gogi gyeopppang’ (double bread with ground beef). Ice cream is now referred to as ‘eseukimo’, while karaoke machines, widely popular in South Korea, must be called ‘on-screen accompaniment machines’. Trainees are required to pass an exam to demonstrate their mastery of these officially sanctioned terms.

Legal Restrictions And Harsh Penalties

This language reform is not limited to tourism.These regulations criminalize accessing or distributing content from "hostile" countries, including uttering certain Western terms that they deem unacceptable. The government's clampdown intensified further in 2018 and grew stricter after 2020. Foreign media, such as movies, television shows, or music, enjoyed by citizens can land them in grave trouble, including jail and, in some sad instances, public execution.

A 2023 report brought out these extreme measures: a North Korean woman who had fled reported to the BBC that three of her friends were put to death simply because they possessed South Korean dramas. These ruthless punishments reveal the regime's incessant attempt to isolate its people culturally and maintain firm grip on their daily lives.

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Ban on South Korean and Western words are among Kim Jong Un's measures to cleanse the nation's culture and ideology. By regulating words, the regime aims to avoid the influence of alien thoughts and ensure social conformity.