We all eagerly wait for the weekend. From school-going kids to working adults, everyone plans their weekends. But if you’re from North Korea, weekends might not be special for you at all.
Yes, in North Korea, people have to work seven days a week, out of which they get paid for six days, and on the seventh day, they work without pay to contribute to the progress of their country.
So, let me share with you some interesting and at the same time most disturbing facts about North Korea.
1. North Korea’s Work Culture
North Korea and its dictator Kim Jong-un are always in the news, often due to their random nuclear weapon tests and ongoing disputes with former US President Donald Trump. North Korea has always been a secretive country, cut off from the rest of the world. But did you know that as big as the country is, its laws are equally bizarre? Today, I bring you some shocking rules and regulations of North Korea.
2. Historical Background
After Japan surrendered at the end of World War II in 1945, Korea was divided into two parts. Kim Il-sung was made the leader of North Korea, and after him, his son Kim Jong-il and grandson Kim Jong-un have ruled the country. The Kim family is considered the highest authority here. Every family is required to have photos of Kim and his family in their homes, and taking care of these photos is mandatory. Even slight damage to these photos can lead to a life sentence.
3. Strict Laws on Photographs
In January last year, a woman was imprisoned because, during a house fire, she chose to save her children instead of Kim’s photos. The North Korean calendar is also different from the rest of the world. Their calendar starts from the birth of Kim Jong-un’s grandfather, Kim Il-sung, who was born on April 15, 1912. According to this calendar, while the world is in 2020, North Korea is in the year 108.
4. Restrictions on Celebrations
People are not allowed to celebrate birthdays or any happiness on two days: July 8 and December 17, because these are the death anniversaries of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, respectively, and are considered days of mourning. Kim Jong-un has released his biography, in which he has written many bizarre things. The biography claims that when Kim Jong-un was born, two rainbows appeared in the sky, and a new star was born. He has given himself the status of a god and claims to have the power to change the weather.
5. Atheism and Worship
North Korea is the only atheistic country in the world. Owning a Bible or a South Korean film can lead to a death sentence. The Kim family is worshiped as gods here. Their history is taught in schools, with only stories of Kim Jong-un and Kim Jong-il being glorified.
6. Mandatory Music Skills
Since the 1990s, it has been mandated that every teacher must know how to play the accordion, and almost every citizen knows how to play it. Those who don’t face penalties. Students also have to do small tasks to benefit the government. Owning a car is strictly prohibited; only military officers and government officials can own cars. Therefore, there are only about a hundred cars in the entire country. There are no traffic signals at intersections; police officers control traffic with hand signals.
7. Housing Regulations
Every house is required to be brown, and the government installs radios in every home to announce new rules, which cannot be turned off. Tourists cannot carry mobile phones and must deposit them at the airport, getting them back only when they leave the country. Tourists cannot speak to locals and are always monitored, not allowed to roam alone. Wearing blue jeans is banned as it symbolizes American capitalism, although tourists are allowed to wear blue jeans in the city but must change before entering the memorial halls of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.
8. Hairstyle Laws
After coming to power, Kim Jong-un introduced a new law for hairstyles, allowing only 28 styles. Men have only 10 options, while women have 18. According to the government, Kim Jong-un’s hairstyle is the best. I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry at this. In 2011, a decree was passed that no one can name their child Kim Jong-un, and those who already have that name must change their birth certificates.
9. Limited Internet Access
Internet access is not available to the general public but only to high-ranking officials and military generals. They have an internet service called Kwangmyong and an operating system named Red Star. Only 28 websites are accessible, all monitored by the government. In 2007, a citizen was executed for making an international call without permission. Taking photos of poor people is strictly prohibited as it would tarnish the country’s image.
10. Punishment Policies
North Korea practices a policy called “Three Generations of Punishment,” meaning if a person commits a crime, their children, grandchildren, and they are all punished. Due to this policy, over 250,000 people are imprisoned in camps. North Korea’s news and media are also highly controlled. Newspapers are not easily available; they are posted at bus stands, and people have to go there to read them. Only three TV channels are available, all showing government-approved content. North Korea has been ranked last in the Global Media Freedom Index for several years.
11. Fake Elections
Elections are held every five years, but only the Kim family is allowed to stand, with Kim Jong-un winning 100% of the votes every time. Citizens over 17 can vote, but the outcome is always predetermined.
12. Peace Village
North Korea has built a fake village called Peace Village near the South Korean border to lure South Koreans, but no one lives there. However, lights are turned on at night to make it seem inhabited.
13. Public Executions
In 2013, Kim had his uncle Jang Song-thaek executed publicly, fearing he might seize power in the future. In 2015, North Korea’s Defense Minister Hyon Yong-chol was executed with an anti-aircraft gun in front of hundreds of people because he dozed off during a speech by Kim Jong-un.
14. Assassinations
In February 2017, Kim Jong-un’s half-brother Kim Jong-nam died under suspicious circumstances, with the North Korean regime being blamed. Kim Jong-Nam was against the dictatorship and had left North Korea after his marriage. He was assassinated at Kuala Lumpur airport by two women who sprayed toxic chemicals on his face.
15. Human Rights Violations
On December 7, 2014, a video by human rights activist Yeonmi Park went viral, in which she described how she escaped North Korea to China in 2007 and settled in South Korea in 2009. Her eyes filled with tears as she recounted the dire conditions in North Korea, revealing that women are forcibly taken from their homes and made to serve the regime, often girls as young as 13.
North Korea’s situation is truly dire, with many cruel policies introduced to maintain the regime’s power, raising serious questions about humanity.
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I urge you to share this information as much as possible so more people can understand North Korea’s plight.
