North Korea remains the most secretive and mysterious country on the planet. While the world watches their military parades and missile tests, the daily life of its citizens involves strange rules and terrifying realities that seem like fiction. For instance, the government created its own time zone and calendar to separate itself from the rest of the world. Furthermore, the regime makes wild claims about its leaders, such as the ability to control the weather or cure diseases with a single touch. Prepare to look behind the Iron Curtain of the East.
North Korea
The government punishes three generations of a family for one person’s crime. If an individual defects or violates the law, the state sends their grandparents, parents, and children to prison camps with them. This brutal policy ensures that fear keeps the entire population in line.
North Korea invented its own basketball scoring system to make the game more exciting. A slam dunk earns three points, and a three-pointer that does not touch the rim earns four points. Additionally, players lose a point for every missed free throw, which changes the strategy completely.
Citizens must fulfill a government quota for human fertilizer. Because the country lacks chemical fertilizer, the state requires every household to produce hundreds of pounds of human waste for agriculture each year. Families often fight over public restrooms to meet their mandatory target.
The fashion police strictly ban blue jeans across the country. The regime views denim as a symbol of American imperialism and Western corruption. Therefore, residents must stick to state-approved trousers or face punishment from patrolling inspection units.
A fake village sits on the border to impress South Korea. Kijong-dong, or “Peace Village,” features bright buildings and electric lights, but it has no actual residents. Maintenance workers simply sweep the streets to create the illusion of a thriving town for the neighbors to see.
State media claimed Kim Jong Il shot a world record in golf his first time playing. Reports stated he finished eighteen holes at thirty-eight under par, including five holes-in-one. He immediately retired from the sport after this legendary, albeit impossible, performance.
The regime kidnapped a famous director to make a Godzilla rip-off. Agents seized South Korean director Shin Sang-ok and forced him to create the monster movie Pulgasari for the dictator. He and his wife eventually escaped to the US embassy in Vienna during a film festival.
The country uses a completely different calendar called “Juche.” Instead of counting from the birth of Christ, they count from the birth of their founder, Kim Il Sung, in 1912. Thus, the year 2024 translates to Juche 113 in North Korea.
Voters receive a ballot with only one name on it. During elections, citizens must bow to the portrait of the leader and place their paper in the box. While they technically can cross out the name, doing so would result in immediate investigation and punishment.
Archaeologists “confirmed” the existence of a unicorn lair. The state news agency announced that scientists found a rock carved with the words “Unicorn Lair” near a temple in Pyongyang. They claimed this proved the ancient King Tongmyong rode a unicorn, legitimizing the country’s history.
An internal “intranet” replaces the global internet for most citizens. The network, called Kwangmyong, only allows access to state-approved websites and propaganda. Only a tiny elite circle within the government has permission to access the actual World Wide Web.
Satellite photos show the country vanishes into darkness at night. Due to extreme energy shortages, the entire nation appears as a black void between the bright lights of China and South Korea. Only the capital city of Pyongyang shows a small faint glow from space.
Traffic ladies direct cars even when the roads are empty. The government selects young, attractive women to stand at intersections and perform robotic movements to direct traffic. They serve as a symbol of order and discipline, even if no vehicles are present.
They celebrate the “Sacred Mother of the Revolution” instead of Christmas. Since the state bans religion, December 24th marks the birthday of Kim Jong Suk, the mother of Kim Jong Il. Citizens pay respects to her rather than celebrating the holiday observed by the rest of the world.
Finally, the massive Ryugyong Hotel stood unfinished for decades. The 105-story pyramid sat as a concrete shell for over twenty years, earning the nickname “The Hotel of Doom.” Although the exterior now has glass, the interior remains largely empty and unopened.
