“All of North Korea is a jail”
Former and late President of South Korea, Kim-Young-sam had
made this statement in 2004. Unfortunately this statement remains true till
this day.
North Korea follows dictatorship. Kim Jong-un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea has been ruling the country since 2011.
He was viewed as the
successor, after his father’s death in December 2011.
He is the leader of the Workers Party of Korea and holds the
highest power in the country.
While the world discusses the plight of the people in
Afghanistan, we have conveniently ignored North Korea, a country where human
rights do not exist.
North Korea has always been isolated from the rest of the
world. The people have no connections or information of what lies outside their country
The world knows little about North Korea due to its lack of
being in the public forefront and no availability of media.
The people are expected to worship their Supreme Leader and
pray for his well-being out of spite. According to the North Korean President,
Kim Jong-un, the only God that prevails is himself.
North Korea is the most secretive nation and the reason lies
in the working of the country.
There are a number of peculiar rules and laws which will
make an individual question basic humanity.
A few strange laws are as follows:
- The people are prohibited from wearing jeans as they are considered to be a product that promotes capitalism.
- Foreign films and music is banned. Those who are caught indulging in these ‘criminal activities’ would face harsh punishments which also includes execution. The punishment is based on the origin of the film. If it is an American film, the accused can be executed and if it is an Indian film, it can lead to imprisonment.
- Falling asleep in a meeting with the Supreme Leader can fetch capital punishment. This was proved to be true in 2015, when the defence minister was publicly executed for falling asleep during one of the events.
- Making international calls is a crime. A North Korean was executed in 2007 for the same.
- The Supreme Leader is supposed to be worshipped by the citizens and any disrespect towards him or his family can lead to harsh punishments. An example of this is when a mother chose to save her child instead of the Presidents portrait.
- A person can be held guilty even if they fail to clean the dust on the Leaders portrait.
- The rules are so rigid, that when the former President, Kim Il-sung died in 1994, smiling was prohibited. People were not allowed to laugh or talk loudly on the streets. Alcohol could not be consumed on that day. Some people were even forced to cry during the funeral
- Tourists who want to visit the country are required to deposit their cameras and other electronic devices. They are required to follow their tourist guide and have no contact with the people of North Korea
- Since there is no contact with the outside world, television is also controlled by the government. Only 3 channels can be aired on TV and they are dedicated to the Supreme Leader and the glory of their country
- In 2013, a list of 28 haircuts was released and since then only those haircuts are allowed in the country. These include 18 for women and 10 for men.
- Those people named Kim had to change their names when Kim Jong-un took over the country since it is prohibited to have the same name as the Supreme Leader
- Owning a Bible is illegal since the people are supposed to consider their Leader as a God. Religion and churches in North Korea are just to put on a show to the world. Those who distributed the Bible and other books of western literature were publicly executed
- The people do not have even the freedom to choose their profession. Military training is compulsory from early childhood. Jobs are provided according to the requirement of the state.
- They follow the three generations of punishment rule. This means that if a person of a current generation commits a crime, three generations after him/her will have to face the repercussions.
- Suicide is considered a crime and it can lead to an entire family being punished or immediately executed.
- Children who go to schools are expected to bear the costs and provide desks, chairs and forced into physical labour.
- If a person wishes to use electricity, permission is required by the state. The power of the entire country is cut at night to help with the energy crisis. Owning a microwave is considered illegal in North Korea.
- One of the most unusual rules is that marijuana is legal. While most of the world considered marijuana illegal, the consumption and export of the drug faces no punishment.
The loyalty of the North Korean people has to lie with their
Supreme Leader.
Some people are made to spy on their own family and report any
wrong-doings to the government.
The people continue to be exploited till this day but put on a charade for the world to believe it is a thriving country who love their Supreme Leader.
North Korea is one of the most difficult countries to escape
since it is landlocked. However, those who try to escape are sent to labour
camps or simply executed.
There are several stories and people who have made it out of
North Korea with great difficulty. Some have escaped after swimming for days,
some have bullet wounds and some never made it out of the water at all.
North Korea is an upcoming danger to the world ever since
they have become a nuclear super power.
They possess a few of the most harmful
nuclear weapons which are a major concern for environmental well-being.
If the world continues to ignore the rising power of North Korea,
there will be an increasing threat to mankind.
Written by Jerusha Patel
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