False subtitles misrepresent Kim Jong Un speech as support for West Java governor

Published on June 4, 2025 at 10:05
3 min read
By AFP Indonesia

After the governor of Indonesia's West Java province sent troubled youths for a fortnight of character building education at local military barracks, a video was shared in posts falsely claiming it shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressing support for the scheme. The video's subtitles, however, are inaccurate and the clip in fact shows Kim speaking about the importance of military preparation.

"Kim Jong-un speaks about West Javan Governor Dedi Mulyadi, he respects him so much," reads Indonesian-language text superimposed on a TikTok video posted on May 6, 2025.

The video features photos of Dedi Mulyadi and North Korea's Kim Jong Un above a clip of Kim speaking.

Subtitles on the clip, purportedly translating what Kim was saying, read: "Corruption has slowed Indonesia's development. This culture must be changed, beginning with its young generation. I fully support West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi’s policy to educate Indonesian students and teenagers so they become obedient and disciplined."

The text refers to a programme where students labelled "naughty" are sent to military barracks for 14 days of character education (archived link).

According to a BBC Indonesia report about the programme, some psychologists and education experts have questioned its efficacy and whether it may have a detrimental impact on the teens' development.

Screenshot of the false TikTok post, captured on June 3, 2025

The clip was also shared in similar posts elsewhere on TikTok.

"What else can you say about Mr Governor? A foreign country praises him, so why do his own people in the country mock him?" reads a comment on one of the posts.

Another said: "Thank you to his excellency Mr Kim Jong-un for supporting Dedi Mulyadi."

The video, however, does not show Kim praising Dedi or the education programme.

AFP previously debunked another claim using the same video with different subtitles to make it appear as if Kim were commenting on a local corruption case.

A reverse image search on Google led to the same footage uploaded to YouTube by the North Korea Now news outlet on February 13, 2024 (archived link).

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

Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared clip (left) and the video from the North Korea Now YouTube channel (right)

The clip used in the false posts starts at the YouTube video's 25:37 mark, when Kim speaks about the importance of the military in maintaining 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."

He makes no mention of the Indonesian governor or his education policy.

A transcript of Kim's speech was also included in a report in the newspaper of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, Rodong Sinmun, on February 9, 2024 (archived link). The transcript also shows Kim did not mention Dedi.

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