From the Daily NK:
Authorities in Chongjin, North Hamgyong province, summoned three young people to a provincial youth league office this month over their use of the South Korean-style word “appa,” or “dad,” the latest sign of Pyongyang’s growing sensitivity to Southern cultural influence in 2026.
A source in North Hamgyong province told Daily NK on Tuesday that the incident happened in mid-July, when three young people were talking near a statue in Chongjin’s Pohang district and used the word “appa.” An official passing by overheard them and reported the group to the provincial branch of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League, a mass youth organization that monitors young North Koreans’ dress, hairstyles, behavior and speech for ideological compliance.
“They were scolded harshly,” the source said, adding that officials asked them, “Are you children? Don’t you even know how to properly address people?” and “Have you tossed etiquette and morals out the window?”
In North Korea, “appa” is generally understood as a word small children use for their fathers, and North Korean etiquette calls for adults to use “abeoji,” a more formal term. Officials view continued use of “appa” into adulthood as both age-inappropriate and disrespectful toward elders, and the provincial youth league told the group that adults should use “abeoji” instead and align their speech and conduct with their age.
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