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Kim Jong Un bans words like ice-cream, hamburger, and karaoke in North Korea. Tour guides are instructed to use local terms like dajin-gogi gyeopppang and eseukimo.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. (Photo: Reuters)
In a bizarre crackdown, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has banned usage of words like “ice-cream”, “hamburger”, and “karaoke” for being too “western”. In a bid to promote local culture and ethos, North Korea has coined its own terminology for such words.
As per reports, tour guides in North Korea’s new Wonsan beach-side resort have been advised to avoid using English words that are popular in the West and its neighbouring South Korea.
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As per the official guidelines, the tour guides are being strictly trained to adopt the North Korean terminology. Hamburger will be called dajin-gogi gyeopppang (double bread with ground beef) and eseukimo (eskimo) will be used for ice cream.
Reportedly, around 20 to 30 guides are enrolled in a rigorous training programme run by officials from the Workers’ Party of Korea’s Cadre Department in Kangwon province. They receive detailed instruction on handling and entertaining tourists, and are mandatorily supposed to memorise slogans and phrases.
News outlet Daily NK quoted the official orders and stated, “Trainees must say dajin-gogi gyeopppang (double bread with ground beef) for hamburger and eseukimo (eskimo) for ice cream. And karaoke machines, widespread in South Korea, should be called “on-screen accompaniment machines.”
These trainees will be required to take an exam after completing the training.
This is not the first time North Korea’s bizarre norms are making headlines; the country is known for extreme punishments for something that is basic for the rest of the world.
For instance, recently, a report surfaced stating that North Korea is using death penalties against citizens caught watching or sharing foreign films and TV dramas. A woman, who fled from the country in 2023, told the BBC that three of her friends were executed for possessing South Korean dramas.
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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
North Korea
September 16, 2025, 13:53 IST
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