"Friendly Father" debuted on 16 April 2024, sung live by Kim Ryu Kyong at a ceremony celebrating the completion of 10,000 new apartment units in the Hwasong district of Pyongyang.

[8][9][10] On the front page of its 20 April 2024 edition, the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper published an editorial which stated: "'Friendly Father' has created a storm of reactions ... and warmed the hearts of millions of people across the country.

The commission's official statement on the block read in part: "The video is typical content linked to psychological warfare against South Korea, as it was posted on a channel operated to connect with the outside world and is mainly focused on unilaterally idolising and glorifying Kim [Jong Un].

[9] Emma Briant, a British specialist on propaganda and information warfare, argues that while the North Korean government likely did not expect the song to go viral on social media, they are nonetheless "not naive about how this may look to Western audiences".

Briant further argues that "[the song] is obviously intended for this kind of mass distribution", but also that "North Korea does not necessarily put this out around the world expecting it to be taken seriously", opining that it was likely "created deliberately to be humorous".