Footage shows Kim Jong Un's remarks on military readiness, not corruption in Indonesia

Published on April 16, 2025 at 10:50
3 min read
By Felix NATHANIEL, AFP Indonesia

After Indonesian authorities arrested executives of a state-owned energy firm over a multi-billion-dollar graft case, a video circulated on social media falsely claiming it showed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressing concern about corruption in the Southeast Asian country. But the footage contains fabricated subtitles and originally shows Kim calling on the military to be ready for potential conflicts.

"We, as a friendly nation to Indonesia, share deep concern over the horrifying acts of corruption taking place," Kim appears to say, according to the Indonesian-language subtitles added to a SnackVideo post shared on March 18, 2025.

Screenshot of the false post, taken on April 14, 2025

"The government officials who have been given the full trust by their people instead recklessly enrich themselves," the subtitles go on.

The false video circulated after Indonesia's Attorney General's Office announced on February 25 that it had arrested executives from subsidiaries of state-owned energy firm PT Pertamina for alleged corruption over oil imports that cost the country nearly $12 billion (archived link).

Authorities alleged that between 2018 and 2023, the suspects colluded to import crude oil from foreign suppliers at inflated prices, instead of sourcing it domestically as required by Indonesian law.

The case also involves a fuel blending process that the office said is "not permitted" (archived link).

The same video was also shared on TikTok, Facebook, and SnackVideo, with some users appearing to believe the Indonesian-language subtitles in the clip were accurate.

"What an embarrassment -- our corruption is now famous in North Korea," said one user.

"Even the leader of another country understands that Indonesia is the centre of corruption," wrote another.

However, the clip -- viewed hundreds of thousands of times across various platforms -- contains fabricated subtitles of Kim's speech.

Falsified remarks

A reverse image search on Google led to a video published by news outlet North Korea Now on YouTube on February 13, 2024 (archived link).

The video is titled "Kim orders military to prepare for the occupation of S. Korean territory".

The same speech in the false posts can be heard beginning at the 25:37 mark in the clip, during which Kim discusses the importance of the military's role in maintaining global peace.

"Our military must possess even stronger power, prevent war and unconditionally safeguard peace with its irresistible force. Peace is not something to beg for or negotiate," says Kim.

"Let us remember once again that war is not advertised in advance. We must always maintain a state of readiness."

Screenshot comparison of the false post (left) and the YouTube video from North Korea Now

Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, published a transcript of Kim's speech on February 9, 2024. It does not show Kim mentioning corruption in Indonesia (archived link).

AFP has debunked other misinformation related to the PT Pertamina case.

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