The early dawn chorus of Pyongyang capital is marked by a concerning ritual that strikes before most countries have enjoyed their morning coffee.
Every day at 6AM precisely a disturbing musical tune penetrates the city through network of loudspeakers mounted across streets and alleyways.
People from North Korea are accustomed to this yet foreign audiences view it as one of the most disturbing ways to wake up because they find this practice extremely dystopian.
Social media users have recently been captivated by clips of the strange music circulating online, prompting countless reactions like: “This is the same exact vibe I get in my dreams,” and “It sounds like something from a creepy dystopian movie.”
“I thought it was just incidental post-production music,” one YouTube user commented after hearing the sound in a documentary.
“But when you learn that it’s being played through a sound-system throughout the city, it becomes creepy. The sound takes on a distorted existence after gaining an independent life.
The peculiar daily alarm even made an appearance in Channel 5’s Michael Palin in North Korea, where the Monty Python legend called it “the most peculiar wake-up call.”
Viewers of TikTok and Reddit detect similarities between this audio and both horror film music and floating dream-like background noises.
“Eerie. That dystopian ambiance matches perfectly with the sound of the city according to a social media commenter.
“It seems like a song that would play if you walk around in a foggy forest under the watchful eye of a mystical predator creature,” another added.
Different individuals confessed that listening to the sound amid sleep paralysis experiences would be extremely unnerving.
The ballad emerges with a soothing quality but its electronic elements create a blend of calmness alongside a threatening vibe.
The otherworldly sound of this audio has historical roots in North Korean propaganda since it functions as a carefully designed propaganda instrument.
An original song dating back to decades answers the question about this haunting noise in modern times while giving credit to possibly being penned by a former supreme leader.
It’s called “Where Are You, Dear General?”, a melancholic track that runs six minutes and 30 seconds long.
Sources claim that Kim Jong-il wrote the song in 1971 during his opera A True Daughter of the Party.
The historical tale follows Kang Yeon-ok who serves in the North Korean army as a nurse that wishes to meet Kim Il-sung who established North Korea and was the father of Kim Jong-il.
Since its debut in 2008 the song has become a daily routine which plays from the clock tower speakers at Pyongyang Railway Station.
Performed by the Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble, the electronic version is reported to be “heavily distorted and barely recognizable” compared to the original version.
North Korea uses this song regularly on national television broadcasts which forms an essential part of their domestic political messaging.
The citizens use the audio as a dual purpose to start their days while serving as a public symbol of their allegiance to the political leadership.
The practice of broadcasting songs about leader absences to wake citizens remains a scary concept for all non-North Koreans.
People now understand the complete reason North Korean loudspeakers use the song at 6AM and thus experience fear instead of surprise.
Feature Image Credit: (Youtube/Channel 5) and (CanvaPro)