North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has banned Western words like “hamburger,” “ice cream,” and “karaoke” in a bizarre push to replace them with state-approved alternatives.
Strange Language Ban in North Korea
In another unusual move, Kim Jong Un has reportedly banned the use of words like “hamburger,” “ice cream,” and “karaoke” in North Korea’s tourist areas.
According to reports, tour guides at the country’s new Wonsan beach resort are being trained to avoid Western or South Korean terms when speaking with visitors.
Instead, they must use awkward, state-approved alternatives. For example:
Hamburger → dajin-gogi gyeopppang (“double bread with ground beef”)
Ice cream → eseukimo (Eskimo)
Karaoke → on-screen accompaniment machines
Guides are required to memorize slogans and official vocabulary as part of a strict government training program.
Push Against “Foreign Influence”
State media claims the goal is to enforce North Korean vocabulary while eliminating “foreign loanwords” linked to Western or South Korean culture.
This clampdown on language comes as part of a wider campaign by the regime to limit foreign influence.
A new UN report (September 12, 2025) warned that human rights in North Korea have further deteriorated in the past decade, with evidence of:
Political prison camps
Public executions
Child labor
Widespread surveillance
Severe restrictions on food and media access
The report stated: “No other population is under such restrictions in today’s world.”
Harsh Punishments for Foreign Media
Kim’s regime has also introduced public trials and executions for those caught sharing foreign TV shows, music, or movies, branding them “anti-socialist materials.”
Authorities frequently conduct raids without warrants to seize computers, radios, or TVs suspected of containing outside media.
All media is state-controlled, and any independent news is considered “counter-revolutionary.” Citizens are also required to attend weekly self-criticism sessions and join Workers’ Party organizations to spread ideology.
Despite these risks, the UN notes that many North Koreans continue to secretly consume foreign media.
