North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his sister Kim Yo-jong appear in a parody music video of Rose's "APT.," created using deepfake technology. Captured from YouTube channel "Lil Doge"

A parody video reimagining BLACKPINK's Rose and Bruno Mars's hit song "APT." with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his sister Kim Yo-jong singing a version titled "Roketeu" (Korean pronunciation of rocket) gained significant attention online.

The video, created by a YouTuber using deepfake technology, humorously mimics the repetitive "Apateu" from the original song's chorus, changing it to "Roketeu" ("Rocket"), which shares the same "teu" ending sound in Korean, adding a playful twist.

The content is a satirical take on North Korean themes, featuring Kim Jong-un and Kim Yo-jong singing about intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches, military support for Russia and propaganda balloon campaigns targeting South Korea.

North Korean broadcaster Ri Chun-hee appears in the "APT." parody, delivering a satirical message. Captured from YouTube channel "Lil Doge"

Uploaded on Oct. 31 to the YouTube channel "Lil Doge," which boasts more than 280,000 subscribers, the two-minute, 50-second video titled "APT." coincided with North Korea's latest ICBM test.

The video opens with a deepfake of well-known North Korean broadcaster Ri Chun-hee announcing, "Our leader's favorite provocation tactics! Tactics start!" — a playful twist on the original song's introduction, where Rose uses her real name, saying, "Chaeyoung's favorite random game, game start!"

Keeping the rhythm, melody and color scheme of the original video, the parody replaces Rose with Kim Yo-jong and Bruno Mars with Kim Jong-un, with lyrics reworked to highlight North Korean issues

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his sister Kim Yo-jong in a parody music video of Rose's "APT." / Captured from YouTube channel "Lil Doge"

The song's repetitive "Apateu" (Apartment) chorus, which appears over 60 times in the original, is changed to "Roketeu," with even Vladimir Putin making an appearance during these segments.

The video quickly went viral, surpassing a million views and garnering over 7,000 comments within a day. Viewers responded enthusiastically, calling it "modern art" and praising the creator's skill in lyric adaptation.

However, some viewers voiced concerns about the video trivializing real security threats like ICBM tests, with comments such as "This is risky" and "Why provoke? A war would bring suffering to both Koreas."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.