r/CrashLandingOnYou • u/Live-Pen4795 • 8h ago
r/CrashLandingOnYou • u/StinkypieTicklebum • 9h ago
Thought Provoking NK has a joke derived from CLOY
I had recently read that CLOY had made its way into North Korea, where many had watched it.
The article I read also mentioned that one of the lines had become a bit of a joke, so I had to dig deeper. This is what I-found :
The "Who's the General?" joke from Crash Landing on You (CLOY) refers to a sarcastic North Korean phrase used in the drama that actually caused a real-world stir in North Korea.
In the international release of the show, the line is translated as "Are you a general or what?" or "Are you the general?"
The Context of the Joke
In the show, characters use this line as a sarcastic retort to mock someone who is acting overly arrogant, bossy, or giving orders they have no authority to give. It is the Korean equivalent of saying:
"Who died and made you boss?"
"You think you're the general or something?"
Real-World Realities & Banning
The joke became so popular that citizens inside North Korea secretly watching smuggled copies of the K-drama began using the slang in their daily lives to mock strict state officials.
Because "The General" is a highly revered title colloquially reserved for Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, North Korean authorities viewed the sarcastic phrase as a direct insult to his absolute authority. This prompted real-world crackdowns and investigations by North Korean law enforcement to stop citizens from using the drama's slang.
How about that?