South Korea bans viral video praising North Korean leader

South Korea's media regulator on Monday banned access to a viral music video that it said “idolized” North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un as a "friendly father" and "great leader."

South Korea's National Security Act (NSA) blocked access to the North Korean government websites and media to restrict exposure to the efforts by Kim's “autocratic regime to praise, incite or propagate" its activities, local English daily The Korean Herald reported.

"The video is typical content linked to psychological warfare against South Korea, as it was posted on a channel operated to connect with the outside world and mainly focused on unilaterally idolizing and glorifying Kim," the NSA said in a statement.

Since being uploaded, the video has become a hit around the globe, going viral on video sharing app TikTok and other social media platforms.

In July 2020, South Korea's telecommunications regulator fined TikTok 186 million won ($155,000) for “mishandling” user data amid growing global privacy concerns about the social media service.