Located in East Asia, right next to China, Russia, and South Korea, North Korea is a country that is often discussed because it is known as a country with extreme laws.
North Korea has a supreme leader named Kim Jong Un who governs his country in a unique style and is known as a dictator. The dictatorship's leadership has been passed down from generation to generation from his grandfather, father, to then Kim Jong Un.
Many things are commonplace for citizens of other countries, but are not available in North Korea and even become a ban and something that is strictly prohibited in that country. No kidding, the punishment given can be up to the death penalty and a sentence for three generations, you know.
Here are a few things that are common to all of us, but are not readily available and could even result in punishment for three generations in North Korea!
No Laughing
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, otherwise known as North Korea, has a ban on laughing its citizens. This is due to the commemoration of a day of mourning for their supreme leader Kim Jong Il, the father of Kim Jong Un.
During the 11 days to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of leader Kim Jong Il, everyone in North Korea is prohibited from laughing. Not only is it forbidden to laugh, everyone is also forbidden to shop and drink.
Former leader Kim Jong-il, ruled North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He died of a heart attack at the age of 69 on December 17, 2011. He was succeeded by his youngest son Kim Jong Un.
Playing Social Media and Using the Internet
In 2016, North Korea officially blocked Facebook and Twitter. The government also announced that anyone who tries to access them in an "inappropriate" manner or distributes "anti-republican data" from them will be severely punished.
Prior to the ban, few North Koreans had access to the worldwide web, and most were limited to the government-controlled internet.
The official blocking of social media sites largely influences foreigners to post information from North Korea to the wider world.
Watching movies
For us, watching movies from abroad through Netflix, iQiyi, Viu, or listening to foreign music from Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and so on is a common thing and part of our daily life.
But for North Koreans, doing so is tantamount to subjecting three generations to severe punishment! In 2015, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un ordered to destroy all cassettes and CDs containing state-banned songs including those from outside countries that could cause dissent.
Watching American films or distributing pornography can carry the death penalty. North Koreans can only watch from three channels on TV in North Korea, and all content is controlled by the government.
Do not use Birth Control
This is because in this country most married couples deliberately only have one child due to the high cost of education and child care.
As this has largely caused North Korea's birth rate to decline rapidly, leader Kim Jong Un decided to impose a ban on birth control and abortion procedures.
Having children is a free choice for every family. Using birth control is an option and is common in Indonesia or other countries, unlike in North Korea.
No Disposable Pads or Tampons in the Store
Buying monthly necessities such as disposable pads or tampons at convenience stores is not a strange thing around us. But in North Korea, this is not common and is not available in stores.
North Korean women themselves use cloth sanitary napkins that can be reused by washing after use.
