Funny/Weird

Ongoing History Daily: North Korea Invades South Korea Via Karaoke

Technically, the Korean War never ended. The truce that was forged in 1953 along the 38th parallel is the only thing that keeps things from getting out of hand today. However, the North and the South still take shots at each other—and not all of them involve landmines, shooting down planes or blaring propaganda through loudspeakers over the DMZ. Here’s one of the weirdest.

In 2015, karaoke machines in a number of South Korean establishments were found to be loaded with patriotic songs from the North. Tracks like “Glory to the Dear Leader” and “Living Well in the People’s Paradise” were available to anyone who felt the need to sing them. This, however, is illegal, as is all North Korean propaganda under a 1948 national security law.

The mystery is how North Korean operatives managed to plant these songs.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 39684 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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