12 Ridiculously Shocking Laws In North Korea You Had No Idea About

These unfair laws will make you thank you weren’t born there.

Every country in the world expects natives to abide by specific laws and regulations — but North Korea is different. The natives are supposed to follow not just expected rules but some really bizarre laws.

Every weird law in North Korea has only one main motive — to control the population.

It is the country where the lives of citizens are dictated and regulated to the tiniest degree for ensuring Kim Jong-un stays in supreme power and retains a tight hold all over.

Kim Jong-un is given a Godlike status by the citizens who have been isolated from the rest of the world.

Interestingly, the laws successfully keep the North Koreans aligned with what the government demands of them.

Several rules detailed below might sound nuts, but breaking them in North Korea is a serious offense. Let’s dig into the most bizarre North Korean laws.

1. Only State-Approved Haircuts

People can not verge on any new hair trend in North Korea as they are supposed to stick by the state-approved haircuts. What?

Yes, since 2013, the government of North Korea has taken quite a deep interest in interfering with the hairstyles of its citizens.

The government intends uniformity by such a practice — they want a tight hold even in the most personal matters of the people’s lives. It sounds like a school system where one could not lose one’s hair to ensure discipline!

Interestingly, there exist 18 state-approved hairstyles for women and 10 for men. There are specific guidelines for the hair too.

For instance, men are not supposed to keep their hair more than five centimeters — around two inches. Older men are relieved a bit of the restriction and allowed a wide berth of keeping hair up to seven centimeters.

There are also classifications among the women as the married woman has to keep the hair super short while the unmarried are allowed to wear their hair, comparatively, a little longer.

If you wonder about Kim Jong-un’s hairstyle, then his world-famous hairstyle is not supposed to be worn by any. The hairstyle is reserved just for him.

2. No Smiling On The Kim Il-Sung’s Death Anniversary

Kim Il-sung was not only the grandfather of Kim Jong-un but also the benevolent father of the entire nation. It has been a while since his passing.

The man passed away in 1994 on July 8, and the day got declared a national mourning day.

All North Koreans are not only expected to grieve but also grieve noticeably on the very day. There are strange laws that forbid smiling on July 8 or even talking loudly.

The country takes its mourning very seriously. When Kim Jong-un’s father, Kim Jong-il, passed away, the citizens were keenly observed. Those who were not grieving hard enough were sent to the labor camps as a punishment.

Showing extreme reverence is also expected near the statues of the leaders. No one can chew gum, talk loudly, or engage in any boisterous behavior near the leader’s statues.

3. One Cannot Move To The Capital Without The Government’s Permission

Life in North Korea’s capital Pyongyang is easier than life in the countryside. But people cannot just pack up their suitcases to shift to the capital. Their desires are not as simple to get fulfilled as they sound in the normal world.

Instead, shifting to Pyongyang is a hard nut to crack, and one must obtain permission from the government. This clearly answers why the city is populated mainly by the ruling party or those higher in the social caste.

There also exist roadblocks in North Korea, which prevent North Koreans from moving around freely without permission.

4. One Is Forced To Vote In All Elections

As an adult, you do have free will when it comes to voting. You might vote or skip the entire process of elections.

But if you are a North Korean, you simply cannot — you do not have a choice. You will have to show up to the polls if you are 17 years old.

If you’re wondering that it’s the way of exercising democracy, then actually, it’s not. As the government instead monitors its populace through the method. One defector stated,

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.

5. The Government Controls The Media

International television stations stand no chance of getting broadcast in North Korea. The government strictly controls the programming and sanctions only four official tv channels.

The Korean central television is the leading media that announces all the state news, and the government produces every word uttered on the station.

6. Every Citizen Belongs To A Caste

The caste system is not a thing of the past. The practice is very much alive in North Korea.

People are classified into three main castes where the “core” class is reserved for the country’s elite ones, including Kim Jong-UN and his relatives.

The second class is the “wavering” class, where most of the country’s residents fall — from the families of artisans to the shopkeepers, from intellectuals to other traders.

The last class is termed the “hostile” class, where people deemed undesirable by the government fall. These people are considered enemies of the estate, and interestingly, lawyers, landlords, and Christian ministers fall under this ladder.

This caste division is a result of the bitter Korean war of the 1950s.

If you wonder about the significance of caste of the citizen’s status, then both the factors are directly proportional. One’s caste in North Korea determines how much one can move across the restrictive regime.

7. Criminal’s Whole Family Is Punished

The government of North Korea abuses human rights on the next level. People live in constant fear because of the brutal dictatorial restriction, one of which is the country’s “three generation rule.”

The rule details that once the government convicts the criminal and sends them to the labor camp, the person’s entire family will also get seized and sent to a labor camp.

The unfair rules did not end here as the two generations of the family born and raised in the camp must remain there for their whole lives.

The family members and descendants didn’t technically commit any crime, but their association with the convicted is enough to label them guilty too.

Through the practice of “three generation rule,” the government intends to keep crime to an absolute minimum.

They deem the criminal family might also have suspicious values, and they won’t risk the country’s security again — even in probabilities.

Without a doubt, an unfair rule to keep all the North Koreans in line.

8. Making International Phone Calls Is Prohibited

Yes, you are allowed to make phone calls until they are domestic calls only. Even domestic calls are meticulously regulated.

In Kim Jong-un’s regime, the information cannot move in or out of the country; thus, the person caught making an international call, via a black market Chinese cell phone, could be hanged to death.

9. One Cannot Escape The Country Else Execution

Even if you are unsatisfied with the practices across the country, you don’t have much choice as you cannot escape the country.

The government wants its citizens to be loyal; thus, escaping the country is considered a cardinal sin.

People who even try to escape are sent to labor camps and executed. Over the past, several horror stories have surfaced of the people who dared to escape.

Those who attempt to escape are not only the ones given brutal punishments but their families and relatives also face severe penalties.

10. No Accessibility Of The Internet

No commoner in North Korea can access the internet. What? Yes, information from the outside world cannot penetrate the country, nor can it leak outside.

Internet usage is thus strictly controlled where only government officials are granted special permission to access it. Interestingly, even those officials don’t have much to look into the internet with limitations. As per the 2016 North Korea report, only 28 active websites were allowed to browse.

11. Only Male Government Officials Can Drive

Can you own a car in North Korea? Well, no, unless you are a “male” and “government official.”

The government also controls driving and car ownership. Why? Because the government needs to ensure that the nation does not get overrun with motor vehicles.

Interestingly, in the rush hour, a car can have ten lanes of the freeway all to itself.

Some people do get around the law by registering their cars as belonging to government agencies.

12. Can You Keep A Bible? No, It Is Illegal

What’s the religion in the region? You got it right. No religion.

One can only worship Kim Jong-un as a divine being, and if any citizen gets caught in owning a bible, then one is sent to a labor camp, most likely for execution.

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