I entirely beg you oh and government of the DPR Korea Western population remains largely unfamiliar with Asia and the way of life on this continent consequently our understanding of the Democratic Republic of Korea or North Korea remains remarkably limited distinct from any other location in the world this East Asian country has consistently emphasized isolating its citizens particularly since the Armistice of the Korean War in 1953 governed by megalomaniacs and paranoid leaders North Korea operates within such seclusion that the inner workings of the nation remain shrouded in secrecy with only the testimonies of spies and defectors providing glimpses into its reality our knowledge of North Korea is strictly governed by the information Allowed by its leadership here we present a compilation of the 15 weirdest things that only exist in North Korea number 15 the prohibition of international phone calls when it comes to telecommunications in North Korea making international phone calls is strictly prohibited the government has a tight grip on the use of Technology especially when it comes to countries they consider enemies while North Korea does have a popular mobile phone service with over 3 million subscribers it only allows local calls and prohibits International ones if ordinary North Koreans are caught using mobile phones to contact loved ones who have fled abroad they risk being sent to political prison camps or other detention facilities despite the risks involved many people are taking advantage of North Korea's thriving informal private economy Traders smuggle various Goods particularly from neighboring China including mobile phones and SIM cards these devices often referred to as Chinese mobile phones enable North Koreans near the border to access Chinese mobile networks and communicate with people outside the country to avoid detection while making calls abroad people keep their conversations short use pseudonyms and often go to remote mountainous areas this reduces the chances of calls being jammed or security agents spotting individuals using the phones numerous reports have confirmed that the North Korean government views its control over communication as a powerful tool to suppress the voices of its people by restricting international calls and communication technology they attempt to obscure information about the extent of human rights violations in the country number 13. prohibition on blue jeans and western clothing North Korea a country known for its numerous restrictions tightly regulates almost every aspect of its citizens lives including their choice of clothing as a matter of fact blue jeans are actually banned over there now you might be wondering why the country would go to such lengths to ban blue jeans well it all comes down to Kim jong-un's perception of them as a symbol of U. S influence he sees blue jeans as a threat to the North Korean way of life and decided to make them illegal for citizens to wear the official newspaper of the North Korean government rodong Cinema even published an article expressing and concern about young North Koreans embracing Western fashion trends they urged people to be cautious and fight against any signs of a capitalist lifestyle but it's not just blue genes that are off limits western clothing items like t-shirts skirts and suits are also banned instead the government requires citizens to Don traditional Korean clothing such as hand box now here's where it gets really strict if someone is caught wearing blue jeans or any other western clothing items outside they have to wait on the side of the road until youth Patrol completes a thorough inspection of the area to identify additional violators once the patrol is done all offenders are transported to the youth League's office where they must confess their fashion offenses in writing they will only be allowed to return home if someone provides them with more suitable attire it's like a whole fashioned police operation so next time you're decluttering your closet remember that what may be considered normal fashion in your country could land you in trouble in another part of the world number 12 restricted Airwaves when it comes to television in North Korea forget about streaming services like Netflix or HBO now the country has banned satellite television leaving its citizens with just four state-owned channels these channels include the central TV channel which broadcasts important political news the mansooty channel dedicated to foreign country news the sports channel offering various Sports coverage and the cable line Channel featuring live programming these channels typically air from daytime to Prime Time it's worth noting that until the 1990s there was only one channel during weekdays and two on weekends in North Korea watching Western television can result in individuals being sent to labor camps on North Korean television and radio as well as in the country's press you'll often find stories that focus on the lives of content workers loyal Soldiers the portrayal of the United States as imperialist aggressors the depiction of South Koreans as puppets and the glorification of the remarkable achievement of former North Korean leaders Kim il-sung and Kim Jong-il the news reports by North Korean media follow a predictable pattern they typically begin with praising Kim Jong-un and highlighting the respect shown to The Leader by Foreign Nations at some point The Narrative shifts to reprimanding the United States either directly or indirectly in addition to controlling the content aired on television and radio North Korean programs also promote a specific dietary practice citizens are urged to have only two meals a day while the government denies that this practice is due to food shortages they claim it is aimed at promoting good health and nutrition number 11.
the suppression of K-pop K-pop short for Korean popular music is a popular music genre that originated in South Korea as a significant part of its culture it has gained immense Global popularity in recent times however in stark contrast K-pop is not favored or popular in North Korea ever since assuming power over a decade ago Kim Jong-un moon has been critical of South Korean entertainment including K-pop movies and TV dramas which he believes have a corrupting influence on the minds of North Koreans to discourage the consumption of K-pop Kim Jong-un intensified the penalties for engaging with it in North Korea listening to K-pop is classified as a felony carrying a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years furthermore a law enacted in December 2020 has made the smuggling of South Korean entertainment including K-pop a capital offense in North Korea disturbing reports indicate that North Korea has publicly executed at least seven individuals in the past decade for Distributing South Korean K-pop videos these executions with the exception of one were concentrated in the city of hayasan and took place between 2012 and 2014. citizens were forced to witness these gruesome scenes where officials labeled The Condemned individuals as social evils before executing them number 10 the fake Village in addition to the numerous propaganda activities in North Korea there exists a fake Village situated on the border between North and South Korea after the Korean war in the 1950s both sides agreed to create a buffer zone called the demilitarized zone which is four kilometers wide and stretches for 250 kilometers as part of this agreement all Villages within this narrow strip of land were to be dismantled with the exception of one Village allowed for each country South Korea chose to preserve daisyongdong also known as the Freedom Village while North Korea decided to construct an entirely New Village called kijong dong commonly referred to as the peace Village the North Korean regime at the time claimed that kijong dong was home to various amenities including schools a kindergarten a child care center a hospital and more than 200 residents from a distance the village of kijongdong might appear like any other ordinary settlement with people going about their daily lives however this perception couldn't be further from the truth the so-called peace Village is nothing more than a propaganda tool devised to entice South Koreans to defect to the supposedly prosperous North in reality the town is devoid of human inhabitants with only a handful of caretakers occasionally seen cleaning the streets even the residential buildings scattered throughout the town are suspected to be mere facades lacking floors and interior walls despite having no residence the village is brightly lit at night as if it were a real place observers from South Korea have witnessed this empty Village and confirmed that no one actually resides there interestingly the project had unintended consequences that bordered on the comical in the past The Village's loudspeakers played North Korean propaganda like patriotic songs and messages against other countries in response South Korea played K-pop songs through their speakers as a way to respond and make things more amusing number nine the controlled hairdos one aspect tightly controlled by North Korea is hairstyles surprisingly the country maintains a strict list of state approved hairstyles for both men and women if anyone is spotted with a hairstyle that deviates from the approved options they can expect to face punishment for men hairstyles such as spikes or using hair gel are prohibited similarly women are not allowed to have layered cuts or bob hairstyles hair salons in North Korea prominently display Illustrated guides showcasing the only haircuts deemed acceptable by the authorities under Kim Jong-un North Korean women for instance have a selection of 15 approved hairstyles to choose from their hairstyle options are even influenced by their marital status married women are expected to keep their hair short while unmarried women are permitted to have longer hair often styled with curls at the bottom on the other hand North Korean men also have 15 approved haircut styles to select from men are strictly forbidden from growing their hair longer than 5 cm although older men are granted a slightly longer allowance of up to 7 cm interestingly Kim Jong-un X excluded his own hairstyle from these restrictions to maintain its uniqueness however in 2015 reports emerged that Kim Jong-un had ordered men to emulate his distinctive hairstyle those who violated these guidelines faced having their hair forcibly cut by authorities particularly within universities which were reportedly cautioned to be vigilant against any hairstyles associated with capitalism women were spared the obligation of adopting Kim's highly stylized haircut but were reportedly advised to imitate his wife ree sold You by opting for a bob hairstyle number eight basketball rules it is widely known that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un possesses a deep passion for basketball particularly for the 1990s Chicago Bulls and holds great admiration for basketball Legends Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman in South Korea basketball is played with a rather peculiar and unconventional set of scoring rules these rule changes were reportedly initiated by Kim jong-un's father the late North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-il from whom Kim Jong-un inherited the title in 2011.
