Kim Jong-Un described K-pop as a ‘cancer’, despite inviting a girl band to North Korea three years ago

Kim Jong-Un, supreme leader of North Korea, has described K-pop as a “vicious cancer”, while seemingly forgetting the fact he had a girl band perform for him back in 2018.

Short for Korean popular music, K-pop is a significant part of South Korean culture, with groups such as BTS and Blackpink becoming international stars in recent years.

However, Kim isn’t a fan of the genre, claiming it is corrupting the “attire, hairstyles, speeches [and] behaviours” of young North Koreans. The state media fears it could cause the country to “crumble like a damp wall” if action isn’t taken.

And it has, with a new law introduced in December last year meaning that those who are caught watching or owning entertainment from across the border face five to 15 years in labour camps. Individuals will also be punished with labour if they “speak, write or sing in South Korean style”, while those handing material to North Koreans could face the death penalty.

Kim’s latest remarks have since been mocked online, though, as several Twitter users have pointed out that he watched a performance by the K-pop group Red Velvet back in 2018.

According to a report by the North’s Korean Central News Agency at the time, the supreme leader said “he was deeply moved to see our people sincerely acclaiming the performance, deepening the understanding of the popular art of the Southside.”

He even thanked the girl group for their “kind gift to Pyongyang’s citizens”.

We would say we’re surprised by Kim’s change of heart, but the leader is nothing if not completely unpredictable.