North Korea: 34 Rules That will Shock You

A child is born in North Korea. But as soon as the innocent child is born, he is declared a traitor. North Korea is known in the world for having the strictest laws, and some of them are so unbelievable that it is hard to even accept them. For example, here elections are held, but there is no option to choose. You can vote for only one person, and if you do not, you go straight to jail. On TV, there is only one channel, and there is no option to tune to another. North Korea may be the only country in the world where you do not go to jail for committing a crime, but even for thinking about one.

Until 1945, Japan ruled over the whole of Korea for 35 years. But after World War Two, Korea was divided into two parts: North Korea and South Korea. North Korea came under the influence of the Soviet Union, while South Korea was under American influence. In 1948, Kim Il Sung of the Kim dynasty was made the leader, and North Korea was established as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. However, democracy as such never actually existed here.

In 1950, a war broke out between North and South Korea which is called the Korean War. But after the war ended, no peace treaty was signed. For this reason, both countries are still technically in a state of war. In North Korea, to maintain power, only one family has ruled until today. First Kim Il Sung, then Kim Jong Il, and now Kim Il Sung’s grandson Kim Jong Un. Every ruler has relied on the strictest laws to protect their throne. Many rules have been made here to forcibly suppress people through fear and punishment, so that they do not turn against the regime by being influenced by South Korea or Western culture. And today we will talk about some of those strange and unusual rules. So let us begin.

In 2024, North Korea banned the use of sunglasses and wedding dresses. Here, in metro or public stations, instead of music, speeches of the Kim family are played, and during that time no one is allowed to talk to each other or make noise. In North Korea, if people are caught watching South Korean dramas or Hollywood movies, they face labor camps or severe punishment. These measures are taken to prevent ideological contamination, so that the public is not influenced by foreign cultures.

In North Korea, ordinary people are not allowed to use the real internet, so they cannot access platforms like Google, YouTube, or Facebook. Instead, they are limited to a special private network called the intranet. This intranet is completely closed and operates only within North Korea, meaning it does not connect to the outside world. Even on this network, the state monitors what people are watching, what they are reading, and what they are talking about. In this way, the government controls the information reaching the people, so that they are not influenced by the outside world. In North Korea, making an international phone call without the state’s permission is also illegal. That means if you want to talk to someone outside the country, you must get permission from the government.

Here, television, radio, and newspapers can only be run by the state. The concept of private media does not even exist. On this media, only praise for the government, the glory of the Kim dynasty, and mention of foreign enemies such as the United States is allowed. From childhood, hatred against America and its allies is instilled in ordinary people.

In North Korea, the government also keeps strict control over people’s hairstyles. The government has permitted only a few specific types of hairstyles. That means people are told which hairstyles they are allowed to have. Here, everything that carries the influence of the outside world is banned.

Like wearing jeans, dyeing hair, or wearing shiny dresses. Anyone who does this has their belongings confiscated and is punished. Not only clothes, but even eating food of one’s choice is not allowed. Hot dogs are banned because they are common in American culture, and Budae Jjigae and Tteokbokki are banned because they are South Korean dishes. To travel from one city to another, a permit is also required. Without it, travel is considered illegal. A North Korean passport is given only to the elite class, such as government officials and close associates of Kim Jong Un. Ordinary people cannot even dream of leaving North Korea.

In North Korea, whether it is land or a house, a shop or a business, everything belongs to the state. No person can become the owner of these things, they can only use them and that too with the permission of the state. Here, following or practicing any religion is also illegal. That means people cannot follow any religion of their own choice. Although there are churches in North Korea, they exist only to show the outside world that there is religious freedom. In reality, anyone who uses them is sent to labor camps.

So in the end, life in North Korea is very different from the rest of the world. From the first day, people are told what to do, what to wear, what to watch, and even what to think. Every rule is made to keep the people under control and to protect the power of one family. While other countries are moving forward, the people of North Korea are kept away from freedom and the outside world.