Kim Jong-Un 'bans the name Kim Jong-un'
Those caught with the same moniker as the dictator would apparently have to be "trained" to change it
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
North Korean citizens hoping to name themselves after Kim Jong-Un in the near future are out of luck, because the leader has banned the use of his moniker, and ordered those who already have it to be “trained” to change it.
According to the Daily Mail, South Korean television obtained a leaked internal document from the state that included an “administrative order” to army, police and government officials to establish the new legislation.
“All party organs and public security authorities should make a list of residents named Kim Jong-Un... and train them to voluntarily change their names,” it reportedly reads.
Those caught with the name Kim Jong-Un, it continued, would have their identity cards, school diplomas and official documents briskly adjusted.
Birth certificates baring the dictator’s name would also be rejected.
“Authorities should make sure that there is no one making unnecessary complaints or spreading gossip... regarding this project,” the Mail further quotes the document as reading.
A spokesperson from the North Korean Embassy in London declined to comment on the authenticity of the report.
However, a South Korean official claimed that the two previous presidents of the secret state, Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il, similarly banned the sharing of their names.
“There is a possibility that it would continue to do so now,” he added.
The document was first obtained by Park Jin-Hee, a North Korean defector working for the KBS, who left the state in 2008.
“There is no one in the North named Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il, and there is no doubt the same rule applies for Jong-Un,” she said.
The report comes amid speculation that Kim Jong-Un has banned his aides and officials from smoking foreign cigarettes because they are unpatriotic.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments