SAEDNEWS: North Korea Orders Parents to Use Patriotic Names Like “Bomb,” “Gun,” and “Satellite” for Their Children
According to the Saednews news and analysis website, citing Rooziato, in a situation where Pyongyang has banned the use of names considered overly gentle or affectionate, North Korea’s communist authorities previously allowed citizens to give children emotional and soft-sounding names such as “Ai Ri” (beloved) and “Su Mi” (very beautiful).
However, the North Korean government has now instructed citizens that those who have such names must change them to heroic and ideological alternatives. Kim Jong Un reportedly wants parents in North Korea to choose names for their children that end with a consonant and has threatened to punish and fine those who do not comply, based on the claim that names not ending in a consonant are “anti-socialist.” Suggested examples include names such as “Pok Il” (bomb), “Chong Sim” (loyalty), and “Oi Seong” (satellite).
A North Korean citizen, speaking to Radio Free Asia, said: “Residents complain that government officials are forcing people to change their names according to state-imposed standards. This practice began last month, and constant warnings are being issued in neighborhoods. Residents’ meetings are being held so that all names without a final consonant are corrected. People with such names must add political meanings to them by the end of the year so they meet revolutionary standards.”
The source added that the government may be enforcing this rule so that the names of future generations reflect the “current era of hunger and repression.” North Korean citizens say the issue is repeatedly raised in local meetings: “The directive to quickly change anti-socialist names in every neighborhood has been strongly emphasized by judicial authorities.”
Officials in North Korea reportedly say that children’s names should not resemble those used in South Korea, as tensions between the two countries continue to rise following multiple missile launches by North Korea near the border.
Another source told Radio Free Asia that the North Korean government believes South Korean naming trends are “a copy of decadent Western Yankee culture” and wants to replace them with more militarized naming practices. Sources also said authorities have criticized several generations of families for using a mixture of Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean-style names instead of distinct North Korean ones.
In response to the directive, North Korean residents have reportedly mocked the policy by referring to very old-fashioned names such as Yong Choi, Man Bok, and San Hui, which are now considered outdated and no longer commonly used for naming children.
