Meanwhile, in North Korea...Lists about the bizarre, fascinating, and mysterious Democratic People's Republic of Korea and its Dear totalitarian dictator Leaders who will disappear your friends and family to remind you of their love.
While every country in the world has a few strange rules or regulations on the books, the recent global attention on North Korea has shed light on some of the region's downright bizarre laws. The weirdest laws in North Korea are all in place for one reason and one reason only: to control the populace. A citizenry whose lives are dictated and regulated down to the tiniest degree ensure the country's "supreme leader," Kim Jong-un, remains in power and retains his tight hold on the hearts and minds of millions of North Koreans.
The rules you must follow in North Korea are focused on elevating Kim Jong-un to a godlike status while keeping citizens as isolated and cut off from the rest of the world as possible. The fact that the country has such crazy laws in place is not particularly shocking in and of itself; what's shocking is the degree to which these laws successfully keep North Koreans in line. Such extreme rules may sound nuts to us, but violating them comes with serious, even lethal ramifications. Ruling by fear has been the modus operandi of Kim Jong-un and his father and grandfather before him.
Read on to learn more about some of the most bizarre North Korean laws.
Photo: user uploaded image
You Can Only Wear One of the State-Approved Haircuts
North Korea has approved hairstyles for men and women, with only the latest in '50s trends. Beatings for anyone with an unsanctioned haircut pic.twitter.com/T9Xwajluti
Since 2013, North Korea has taken a keen interest in the hairstyles of its citizens as a way to implement uniformity and maintain a tight hold on even the most personal aspects of people's lives. There are 18 state-approved hairstyles from which women can choose, and 10 options for men. Men must keep their hair less than five centimeters (around two inches) long; older men are given a wider berth at seven centimeters (around three inches).
The government has ordered married women to keep their hair short, but unmarried women are allowed to wear their hair a bit longer. And while Kim Jong-un's hair, of course, is world famous, it is not an allowable hairstyle in North Korea for anyone but him.
No Smiling On The Anniversary of Kim Il-Sung's Death
Kim Jong-un's grandfather, Kim Il-sung, is presented as the benevolent father of the nation. Though he died in 1994, the date of his death, July 8, is a day of nationwide mourning (just as his April birthday is a day of national celebration). And North Koreans are expected to grieve and grieve noticeably. The law forbids smiling or even talking loudly on July 8.
North Korea takes its mourning seriously; when Kim Jong-un's father, Kim Jong-il, died, citizens were sent to labor camps for not grieving hard enough. This law carries over into any reverential activities surrounding both Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. No gum-chewing, loud talking, or boisterous behavior is allowed near their statues or during times of paying respect.
You Must Have Government Permission To Move To The Capital City
Life in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, is considered to be easier and more modern than life in the countryside. But those who long to live in the Big City cannot just pull up stakes and move to the capital should they so desire. The law bars citizens from relocating to Pyongyang without the express permission of the government. The city is populated mainly by ruling party hardliners and those higher in the social caste.
Also, there are roadblocks throughout North Korea designed to prevent North Koreans from moving around freely and without permission.
After major elections, Americans often ponder what it would be like if more people took an active part in our democracy and voted. But in North Korea, a country that rejects democratic ideals, citizens are given no choice in the matter of whether or not they go to the polls. They must. Any citizen over 17 years of age is required by law to vote. It's less an exercise in democracy and more of a way for the government to monitor the populace.
"the government checks the list of voters and if your name is not on the list, they will investigate it. It is often during [an] election that the government finds out about defectors."
The Government Controls All Television Programming
You won't find any international television stations broadcasting in North Korea. All programming is strictly controlled by the government, which sanctions just four official television channels. There is Korean Central Television, the main media hub that announces all state news and has the most advanced broadcasting equipment of the four channels; two educational channels; and a sports channel. The government produces every word that is uttered on these stations.
Pyongyang hotels that hotels that host foreign travelers and diplomats occasionally air Chinese government-owned channels. Broadcasts are often literally shouted, and with great gusto and unbounded joy.
Every Citizen Is Organized According To The Caste System
The caste system is alive and well in North Korea. Every citizen falls into one of three main castes. The "core" class is considered the country's elite citizenry and includes Kim Jong-un, his closest confidantes, and their relatives. The "wavering" class accounts for most of the country's residents and is comprised of "families of artisans, small shopkeepers and traders, those repatriated from China and intellectuals educated under Japanese rule." The lowest rung on the ladder belongs to the "hostile" class, which includes those the government has deemed undesirable or an enemy of the state. Lawyers, landlords, and Christian ministers--and those with relatives in these fields--are members of the "hostile" class.
Many of these castes are holdovers from the results of the bitter Korean War of the 1950s, which is still technically ongoing. The castes very much dictate a citizens' status and how much they're allowed to move and do in their lifetimes within the restrictive regime.
