The world was intrigued by North Korea’s manner of life. But there isn’t much of what we do know about the nation. We do know that it differs significantly from South Korea. Online, there are numerous images and articles demonstrating how keen people are to learn more about it. That said, what do we truly know? Based on a few North Korea facts provided online, the standard of living is greater in Pyongyang, the nation’s capital. And who hasn’t heard of North Korea’s well-known figures, like the country’s current Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un.
Without a doubt, living in Pyongyang is superior to life in the countryside. To dwell in the capital, North Koreans must first get authorization. In order to prevent you from entering the country without permission, there are checkpoints on the streets. Who exactly resides in Pyongyang? Party supporters and people from upper social classes make up the majority of the city’s population. More and more information about what happens in North Korea is getting out to other nations as the world becomes more innovative and new communication avenues open up.
One of the most oppressive nations in the world is still North Korea. Basic liberties and access to necessities have been severely constrained under the Kim family’s control, and things are only becoming frightfully worse. Similar to Hitler’s Germany, North Korea runs hidden prisons where inmates are subjected to brutal torture, abuse, and forced labor. There is no religious freedom, dissent is put down by dishonest tactics, and society is still crumbling. Given its isolation from the rest of the world, North Korea rejects the idea of working together to help both itself and others. It may as well be a physical version of hell on earth. Here are 20 strange and bizarre facts about North Korea will make you glad you don’t reside there.
1. North Korea’s main crop is rice.
Kimchi and rice are staple foods in North Korea, just like they are for South Koreans. They also serve noodles, bulgogi, and juk in traditional dishes. They are also well known for their traditional alcoholic beverage, known as soju. If you ever find yourself in the nation, make sure to eat their “naengmyeon” (cold noodles).
2. There is a propaganda village in North Korea.
The Kijong-dong Village was constructed close to the South Korean border. It was North Korea’s style of showing off to its neighbors to the south. When this village was constructed in the 1950s, power was a luxury.
The village contained substantial structures that lit up on schedule each evening. Soldiers and women who had lived in the neighborhood for 15 years were present in the streets nearby. The folks from the south were surprised to learn the reality when technology advanced and they acquired the ability to view the town attentively. The village’s houses were little more than empty boxes without inside walls, ceilings, or even floors.
3. North Korean citizens do not have internet access
With the exception of a few thousand selected elites, that is. The internet is completely unavailable to the rest of the nation. You might be permitted access to Kwangmyong, North Korea’s own Intranet, if you happen to reside in Pyongyang or one of the country’s other major cities and work or study in a high-tech sector.
A few tightly controlled state-approved websites and a basic email client are accessible over this network, which operates within the nation. Only those who work for the government’s propaganda or hacking teams are permitted access to the real internet, excluding the elite. In order to keep these individuals from leaving the country once they realize how much better the grass is on the other side, these posts frequently have incredibly prestigious salaries and perks.
4. Hunger Crisis is the greatest health threat in North Korea
80 percent of North Korea is made up of mountains and uplands. So, when there is a food shortage, it is equally extensively felt when there is a drought. This is because their small amount of farmland is compromised.
Famine caused the deaths of 2.5 million people in the 1990s. It’s a ratio of one out of ten North Koreans. According to a recent report, At least two-thirds of the population, have no idea where they can get their next meal.
5. Both men and women in North Korea are required to serve in the military.
There are other nations with laws requiring military duty, but they are not as strict as those in North Korea. Males 18 years of age and older had to serve 13 years in the military prior to the latest amendments. The period was only shortened to 10 years starting in 2003.
Women were included in the system of recruitment. After graduating from high school in North Korea, women are required to serve in the military until they are 23 years old, according to an official memorandum published in 2015. There are absolutely no exceptions to this rule. With that, they have 1 million active military soldiers and at least 6 million paramilitary members on duty.
6. Parents need to provide their children their own chairs and desks in School
Parents who send their Children to school are required to provide their own desks and chairs. They even have to pay for their heating fuel during winters. Even students work for the government plowing fields. As a result, some parents want to keep their children at home. For that, too, they must bribe the professors.
7. In North Korea they have their own basketball rules
In North Korea, there are different rules for basketball. Naturally, Kim Jong Il rewrote the basketball rules after deciding he could make them better.
Here are the North Korean Basketball rules:
- 1 point is deducted for every missed free-throw.
- Slam Dunks are now worth 3 points.
- Any field goal made in the last 3 seconds is worth 8 points!
- 3 pointers are worth 4 points – if it’s ‘nothing-but-net’.
- Games can end in a tie.
8. There are only 28 state-approved haircuts in North Korea
They claim that your haircut reveals a lot about your personality and worldview. For many, it makes a statement. But in North Korea, there are only a few options available, and they must be among the 28 officially state-approved hairstyles.
Compared to single women, married women have more choices. Women who are single are only permitted to have short hair. For men, elderly men can have hair that is at least 2¾ inches long, while younger men should have hair that is no longer than 1½ inches. This may seem ridiculous to you, but it’s one of those North Korea facts that makes absolutely no sense.
Here are the North Korean haircut rules
- Women are allowed to choose from one of 14 slightly longer styles.
- Men’s hair should be kept between 1-5 cm in length, with recommended haircuts every 15 days.
- Spiked hairstyles are exclusively banned because the government thinks it’s rebellious.
Kim Jong Un decided not to include his own hairstyle in the restrictions however, because he wanted to keep it unique.
9. In North Korea Human faeces is used instead of fertiliser
Because there is little to no chemical fertilizer in North Korea, everyone was expected to create hundreds of kilograms of feces. The excrement is typically blended with straw and used as a substitute, but it is more difficult to find than anticipated. Squat toilet theft has been reported, thus people have installed locks on their restrooms to stop it.
10. In North Korea tourists are prohibited to use their local currency
Keep your spending under control if you have any immediate plans to travel the nation. Tourists won’t be allowed to make purchases with North Korean cash. Foreigners can use South Korean Won, US Dollars, Yuan, and even Euros to make purchases in local stores.
11. North Koreans are only allowed to browse only 28 websites
Wait until you hear about their internet before you say their television situation wasn’t awful enough. Only 28 websites are accessible to North Koreans. For anyone with access to a computer, their network, named “Kwangmyong” or “Bright,” is free to use. If you have the money and permission to purchase a computer.
12. Blue Jeans are banned in North Korea
Nobody is permitted to wear blue jeans in North Korea. They are actually totally banned in the nation. Because Kim Jong Un saw blue jeans as a sign of US influence, he prohibited North Koreans from wearing them.
13. Bicycles in North Korea are required to have number plates.
Indeed, you read that correctly. It’s expensive to purchase a bicycle in North Korea. It must be registered, much like cars. Aside from that, it’s virtually impossible to purchase a car in the nation. In addition to being extremely expensive, only the wealthy and powerful can own it.
14. Wood-Burning Cars are used in North Korea
Oil imports into North Korea are becoming highly challenging due to stringent international sanctions. This required some ingenuity on their part, like using cars that run on wood!
Additionally, solar-powered taxis and buses have been mentioned, though it’s unclear whether these actually operate at this time.
15. People in North Korea are not required to pay taxes.
One of the rare countries where citizens are exempt from paying taxes is North Korea. Taxation was totally eliminated in 1974. However, those people and organizations that are making money elsewhere must still make payments. As the government is already preparing to reintroduce the idea of income tax to its people, there is talk that this may change very soon.
16. In North Korea, parents are not allowed to name their children after the Supreme Leader.
The fact that North Koreans cannot be given names after their leaders is probably one of the wackiest things about North Korea on this list. Before taking office, a name that has previously been given to a leader must be immediately changed. This was a concern for both Kim Jong-Un and his father. In 2011, he also signed a decree that made it illegal for anyone to share his name.
17. There are only four TV channels in North Korea.
In North Korea, there are just four television channels. They are all state-owned and often broadcast from daylight hours to prime time. One of those channels is Athletic Television, which airs documentaries and shows about the history of sports in North Korea as well as sports events featuring athletes from that country.
The four TV channels are :
- Mansudae Television (educational programs)
- Korean Central Television (historical propaganda, news, emergency broadcasts)
- Athletic Television (which broadcasts any competitions involving North Korean athletes as well as documentaries relating to sport in North Korea).
- Ryongnamsan Television (educational programs targeted to students)
18. North Korea kidnapped a South Korean director.
An renowned South Korean director was kidnapped in 1978. When Shin Sang-ok and his wife Choi Eun-hee were abducted by North Korean spies, they were in Hong Kong.
After serving three years in prison, they were given orders to produce and direct movies for North Korea by the country’s then-Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-Il. Eight years after their kidnapping, they were succeeded in leaving the country. They had already produced dozens of films for the president and the country by that point.
19. Three generations of punishment” Rule
According to North Korea’s “three generations of punishment” policy, if one individual broke the law or was imprisoned, their children, parents, and grandparents were all forced to work with them.
Anyone convicted of a crime, even as minor as attempting to flee North Korea, is sent to the Kaechon internment camp with their entire family. The two generations that followed would be born in the camp, forced to spend their whole lives in slavery there, and eventually die there.
20. Distribution, possession and consumption of cannabis is legal in North Korea
Cannabis is permitted to distribute, possess, and use in North Korea, where it is even advised as a healthier alternative to tobacco.
Sokeel Park, Liberty’s head of research and strategy, claims Cannabis grows widely in North Korea, where official organizations even sell it abroad to make money. Marijuana is also as good as legal because it is not stigmatized and is not as highly idealized as it is in the west.