Kim Jong Un Bans Words Like ‘Hamburger’, ‘Ice Cream’ & ‘Karaoke’ in North Korea for Being ‘Too Western’

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly banned the use of everyday words such as “hamburger”, “ice cream”, and “karaoke”, claiming they are “too Western” and part of a campaign to erase foreign cultural influence.

According to Daily NK, the ban is aimed at replacing common loanwords and South Korean expressions with strictly state-approved North Korean terminology. At the newly developed Wonsan beach resort, tour guides have been instructed to avoid Westernised vocabulary when speaking with visitors. As part of a government-run training programme, they are required to memorise official slogans and use only local terms.

For example, “hamburger” must now be described as dajin-gogi gyeopppang (meaning “double bread with ground beef”), while “ice cream” has been replaced with eseukimo. Karaoke machines will now be called “on-screen accompaniment machines”.

The language crackdown comes amid a broader campaign to suppress foreign media. A United Nations report, cited by the Daily Mail, noted that Pyongyang has tightened control over information flow since 2014, particularly content from “hostile nations”.

Since 2015, North Korea has criminalised not only the possession and distribution of foreign media but also the use of expressions deemed contrary to socialist ideology. Punishments have ranged from “revolutionary education” to even public executions, with the goal of instilling fear.