North Korean leader Kim Jongun has issued an order urging people to choose more “patriotic” names for their children, including Chong Il (weapon), Chung Sim (loyalty), Pok Il (bomb) and Ui Song (Satellite).
Names with “soft” endings like A Ri (lover), So Ra (shell) and Su Mi (super beauty) are popular in South Korea, but Kim called for an end to the trend in the country he leads.
According to the dictator, South Koreanstyle names are a sign that Seoul is just “a copy of decadent Western Yankee culture”.
By the end of this year, all North Koreans must adopt a more “revolutionary” name, and anyone not following this new directive from the communist government could be fined or worse, according to the Chron.
“Local residents complain that authorities are forcing people to change their names according to standards required by the state,” an anonymous North Korean citizen told Radio Free Asia.
The North Korean even explains that the consonants at the end add political meanings to the names, thereby meeting revolutionary standards.
However, some citizens are not happy about the request and even dared to ask if they could give their children names that “reflect the current era of hunger and oppression”.
Others say that trying to dictate what kind of names parents give their children is a sign that “tyranny” has finally gone too far: “How can people not name themselves? Are we really mechanical parts or cattle?” complained an angry citizen.
North Koreans quietly joke among themselves that they will give their children names like Yong Chol, Man Bok, or Sun Hui, popular names in the past that would have made Brazilians sound like Edna, Sonia, or Osmar.
*Internship at R7under the direction of Pablo Marques