What sparked the new cheek-kissing trend between parents and children?
During the 2024 New Year’s performance, Chairman Kim was seen kissing his daughter Ju-ae on the cheek. [Image: KCTV screengrab]
A new trend among young parents kissing their children on the cheek has reportedly taken hold in North Korea.
The fad of parents sending their kids off to school or daycare in this way has quickly spread from Pyongyang to other cities and even to rural areas, said a Pyongyang-based source.
The phenomenon is most pronounced among younger parents in the 20s and 30s age group and is rapidly becoming a normal part of everyday life.
Since last year, there has been a sharp rise in the number of parents doing this and encouraging their children to kiss them back.
It’s apparently become common to see a parent kiss the child on the cheek and then say, “Now you should give mother (or father) a kiss too.”
There are some variations depending on age and gender. Female students under ten tend to kiss their parents without hesitation, but boys are more reluctant or find it awkward, the source explained.
Given that public expressions of affection between parents and children have traditionally been rare in North Korea, this recent shift is unusual and therefore noteworthy. Analysts suggest it may reflect a broader emotional and cultural shift in North Korean society toward valuing familial affection.
“Previously, it was rare to see parents kissing their children on the cheek, but now it’s becoming normal,” the source said. “This trend began naturally after the New Year’s celebratory performance in January last year, when a scene showing Kim Ju-ae kissing her father Kim Jong-un on the cheek aired on television.”
Indeed, North Korea’s external propaganda outlet, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), aired footage on January 1st of last year showing Kim and his daughter exchanging cheek kisses at a New Year’s event.
Since then, Kim continued to appear publicly with Ju-ae, cultivating a familial, affectionate image. While this is widely seen as a strategy to increase emotional closeness with the leader, analysts suggest the impact may extend beyond image-making. It appears to be influencing broader cultural shifts, encouraging everyday North Koreans to embrace closer emotional bonds with their children.
“It began with Chairman Kim and his daughter and has now spread throughout society,” the source said. “This culture is likely to have a significant impact on family relationships and the overall social atmosphere going forward.”
Han was born in 1989 in Taehongdan county, Ryanggang province, North Korea. She graduated from Hyesan Teacher's College in 2012, after which she worked as an elementary school teacher. She defected to South Korea in 2016 and works as a reporter at NK Times in Seoul.
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