In North Korea, the portrayal of the nation's leaders in art is a matter of significant importance and strict control. Only one art studio, the Mansudae Art Studio in Pyongyang, holds the exclusive privilege to create artworks featuring North Korea's leaders.
Established in 1959, this prestigious institution is the largest center of art production in the country. The studio's artists are tasked with producing statues, murals, and various other forms of art depicting Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un. These artworks are not only expressions of reverence but also serve as tools for state propaganda and indoctrination.
In North Korea, the display of portraits of the country's leaders in homes is not just a tradition but a mandatory practice deeply embedded in the fabric of society. Every household is required to prominently display images of Kim Il Sung, the nation's founder, and Kim Jong Il, his successor.
These portraits are a constant reminder of the citizens' allegiance to the Kim dynasty and serve both to inspire and intimidate the populace. The government strictly regulates the maintenance and respect for these images, with rules against folding or desecrating them, reflecting the cult-like reverence for the Kim family that pervades North Korean society.
North Korea claims to work under Kim Il-Sung’s ”Juche" ideology, which includes "rejecting dependence on others, using one's own brains, and believing in one's own strength."
So, they're not technically a communist country, though these ideas do stem from ideologies of Communist leaders.
Kim Jong-Un's haircut is considered "ambitious" in North Korea. Though, to the rest of the world, it looks kind of silly.
Still, men are told to copy his haircut. Furthermore, women are advised to copy his wife's haircut or keep it at bob length.
North Korea is obsessed with basketball. If you watched one of their games, you'd notice a few strange irregularities that add a unique twist to the familiar sport. It's possible to score four-pointers (if a three-pointer never touches the hoop), rewarding pure sharpshooters with an extra point for their precision.
On the other hand, free throws become a double-edged sword. Miss one, and your team gets penalized a point, making the pressure at the line even more intense.
The North Korean military employs just under 1.2 million active-duty troops, roughly 4.7% of the country's population. This represents a significant portion of national resources dedicated to the armed forces, leaving less for other sectors like infrastructure and public services.
Despite its size, the North Korean military's capabilities remain debatable, with some analysts questioning the effectiveness of its aging equipment and conscript-based training.
Kim Jong Un has vehemently criticized K-Pop, labeling it a "vicious cancer" that poses a significant threat to North Korean culture. His disdain for the popular music genre originating from South Korea is rooted in concerns over its influence on the youth, potentially corrupting their attire, hairstyles, speech, and behaviors.
The North Korean leader's harsh stance against K-Pop reflects a broader attempt to shield the country from foreign cultural influences and maintain strict control over the population's exposure to external ideas and lifestyles. This move to ban K-Pop underscores the regime's ongoing efforts to combat what it perceives as cultural infiltration.
In North Korea, personal appearance is not merely a matter of individual taste but is strictly regulated by the state, extending even to citizens' hairstyles. Unmarried women are particularly impacted by these regulations, as they are encouraged to keep their hair short, adhering to one of the 28 state-approved hairstyles.
This requirement is part of a broader effort to control aspects of personal identity and ensure conformity within society. While married women have slightly more leeway in their choice of hairstyles, the distinction between married and unmarried women's hair length underscores the regime's deep involvement in the personal lives of its citizens.
North Korea is surprisingly easy to access, but foreigners are not allowed to walk around the country freely.
On top of that, visitors must be accompanied at all times. International tour groups will always be accompanied by at least two guides, though a large group might be accompanied by more.
There are over 25,000 kilometers of roads snaking their way through North Korea, a vast network for a nation its size. However, only a measly 724 kilometers, or a mere 2.83% of the total, are paved.
This disparity highlights the country's ongoing infrastructure challenges, with many journeys likely being bumpy and time-consuming affairs.
North Korea's primary source of television entertainment is Korean Central Television (KCTV). It dominates the airwaves, offering a steady stream of state-approved programming 24/7.
In contrast, the country has two other channels, but their broadcasts are limited to weekends only. This stark difference reflects the government's tight control over information flow, ensuring KCTV's message reaches every household in the nation.
Half of the 24 million population doesn't have access to basic human needs.
Food, clean water, and electricity are scarce in the country.
Weirdly enough, this dictatorship does hold elections. Every five years, North Koreans take to the polls. The difference? The ballots received only had one candidate named for the office of Supreme People's Assembly deputy in their district.
Their only decision is whether to vote for a single candidate or against them, which involves putting their ballot in a separate box with their identity noted.
If someone breaks the law, they are not the only ones punished.
Rather, the entire family is punished for the next three generations.
Built-in the 1950s, there are no actual residents in Kijong-dong. Some of the buildings are fake, while others are hollow shells with their windows painted on their faces.
The city was built in hopes of tempting South Koreans to defect to North Korea.
The North Korean life expectancy is now 69 years and has fallen by five years since the early 1980s.
This is all based on official statistics from the North Korean government, so the real numbers could be even lower.
Jeans are expensive in North Korea, so if you can afford them, then they must be solid black because blue jeans are prohibited.
This was issued by Kim Jong-Un in an effort to crack down on citizens being influenced by western fashion.
Pyongyang's May Day Stadium, officially known as Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, holds the title of the largest stadium in the world by capacity. Situated on Rungra Island in the capital city of North Korea, this colossal structure was completed on May 1, 1989. It spans an impressive 20.7 hectares (51 acres) and boasts a staggering seating capacity.
While there are varying reports on its exact capacity, it is widely accepted to accommodate around 150,000 spectators, with some sources suggesting numbers up to 200,000. This monumental stadium dwarfs other large stadiums globally, including the UK's Wembley Stadium, making it a noteworthy architectural feat.
The USS Pueblo spy ship was captured back in 1968, with 83 Americans on-board.
The Americans were kept for almost a year, and the situation nearly escalated to a full-scale war between North Korea and the United States.
North Korea stands alone in its social stratification system. Citizens are assigned a rank based on their perceived loyalty to the government, a classification known as "songbun." This loyalty is determined by factors like family history and political activities.
The higher your songbun, the greater the privileges you enjoy, from access to better housing and education to higher food rations and career opportunities. This system creates a stark social hierarchy, with loyalty acting as the key to unlocking a better life in North Korea.
All citizens of Pyongyang are considered trustworthy and loyal to the regime. Kim Jong-Un and the government hold the reins on who gets the privilege of residing in the capital city. Pyongyang acts as a showcase for the world, presenting an image of prosperity and unwavering support for the leadership.
This selectivity ensures the city's population reflects a curated image, with residents chosen for their unwavering loyalty and adherence to the state ideology.
North Korea maintains a tight grip on information and dissent. Every home in the country is equipped with a government radio, blaring out propaganda and regime pronouncements. Strict rules forbid turning these radios off entirely, though residents might be allowed to adjust the volume.
This relentless information control ensures the government's message saturates every aspect of life, reinforcing the state's narrative and maintaining its hold on power.
The Rungrado Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, holds the title for the world's largest stadium by seating capacity. A whopping 150,000 spectators can fill its tiers, creating an atmosphere unlike any other sporting venue.
This immense capacity dwarfs its closest competitor, Michigan Stadium, which can seat around 40,000 fewer fans. Rungrado's sheer size reflects its ambition and unique place in North Korean culture, often hosting mass games and celebrations in addition to sporting events.
Just like the 28 approved haircuts, North Koreans also have a minimal choice for fashion. Women wear knee-long pencil skirts and short or long sleeve (no sleeveless) shirts in standard colors and patterns.
In general, bright colors are rare. Children are usually only dressed in their school uniforms. Men wear long pants with white or blue shirts. This makes everyone pretty much look the same.
The Juche calendar differs from the Gregorian calendar in its starting point. While most of the world marks the year 2024, North Korea is currently in Juche 112 (2024 + 1912, the birth year of Kim Il-Sung).
It's important to note that outside North Korea, the Juche calendar is not widely used, and the Gregorian calendar remains the standard for international communication.
In North Korea, power outages are a frequent and pervasive issue, significantly impacting daily life and economic activities. The country's energy infrastructure is outdated and inefficient, struggling to meet the demands of its population and industries. Despite being rich in natural resources like coal, North Korea faces challenges in electricity generation and distribution, leading to widespread and unpredictable blackouts.
These outages affect not only residential areas but also critical facilities, further exacerbating the hardships faced by its citizens. The lack of reliable power is a stark indicator of the broader economic and infrastructural challenges confronting the nation.
While most American schools release a list that asks students to provide their own pens, paper, and the like, North Korean schools take it a bit farther. Students are required to pay for their own chairs, desks, and heating fuel.
Basically, they have to pay for everything but the teacher.
In 1974, Kim Il-Sung ordered 1,000 Volvo 144 sedans from Sweden but never paid for them.
The Swedish government still sends invoices every year, and the current debt is around $2.8 million.
Illicit substance use in North Korea is mostly unregulated and surprisingly common compared to the rest of the world.
An estimated 30% of North Koreans use illicit substances. Uppers are mostly used as an appetite suppressant to help workers spend more time in their trades.
In 2015, the Corruption Perceptions Index deemed that North Korea (tied with Somalia) was the most corrupt nation in the world.
Scores range between 0 (very corrupt) and 100 (very honorable), North Korea scored an eight.
In North Korea, the internet is a highly restricted and controlled entity, with access largely limited to government officials and select individuals. The country operates its own version of the internet, known as Kwangmyong, an intranet that is meticulously monitored and censored by the regime.
For the vast majority of North Koreans, the global internet remains out of reach, confined to a privileged few who receive special authorization. This digital isolation is part of a broader strategy to limit the flow of external information and maintain tight control over what citizens can see, hear, and believe, effectively insulating the population from foreign ideas and influences.
In Pyongyang, North Korea, "traffic girls" or female traffic officers have become an iconic symbol of the city's streets. Tasked with directing traffic in place of traffic lights, which are often unreliable due to the country's inconsistent power supply, these women are known for their highly disciplined, almost choreographed movements.
Selected for this role based on strict criteria, including age, height, and family background, they undergo rigorous training to perform their duties with precision. However, recent reports indicate a shift, with male officers increasingly taking over these roles, suggesting changes in how Pyongyang manages its traffic control.
North Korea is grappling with severe food shortages, affecting a significant portion of its population. Reports indicate that around 42% of North Koreans are malnourished, a situation exacerbated by agricultural production dropping by 180,000 tonnes last year. The government's response includes cutting daily food rations to less than 11 ounces per person, as the country requires approximately 5.5 million tons of grain annually to feed its 25 million people.
Efforts to combat these shortages have seen the deployment of the military and an increase in food ration distributions to certain areas, yet the situation remains dire, with increasing concerns over starvation-related deaths.
In 2015, North Korea created its own time zone, known as Pyongyang Time, named for the capital. This move served a dual purpose. First, it established a half-hour time difference between South Korea and Japan, symbolically severing a lingering tie to the past.
Second, it marked the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese rule, further solidifying the idea of North Korea as an independent nation.
The Ryugyong Hotel, often referred to as the "Hotel of Doom," is a towering presence in Pyongyang, North Korea. This 330-meter (1,080 ft) pyramid-shaped skyscraper began construction in 1987 but remains unfinished and unoccupied, making it one of the world's tallest empty buildings.
Initially envisioned as a symbol of North Korea's economic and architectural prowess, the project encountered numerous setbacks, including financial difficulties and construction halts. Despite its ambitious beginnings, the Ryugyong Hotel has never welcomed a single guest, standing instead as an eerie monument to unrealized potential.
In North Korea, the government exerts tight control over access to technology, including personal computers. Citizens must obtain specific government permission to purchase a laptop, a measure that reflects the regime's broader efforts to monitor and restrict the flow of information.
This policy is part of a comprehensive strategy to prevent exposure to foreign ideas, media, and potential dissent against the state. The highly regulated process ensures that only a limited number of individuals, often those with proven loyalty or in need for their state duties, can access such technology. This restriction further isolates the North Korean population from the global digital community.
North Korea hosts its own version of France's iconic Arc de Triomphe, known as the Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang. Erected in 1982 to commemorate Kim Il Sung's role in the resistance against Japanese occupation, it stands 60 meters (197 feet) tall, making it slightly taller than its Parisian counterpart.
This monument is not only a symbol of national pride and resistance but also serves as a testament to North Korea's penchant for constructing grandiose structures that echo famous landmarks worldwide. The Arch of Triumph, with its elaborate sculptures and inscriptions, celebrates the country's liberation narrative and showcases Pyongyang's architectural ambitions.
The Pyongyang Metro, renowned for being the deepest metro system in the world at 110 meters below ground, serves a dual purpose beyond its primary function of transportation. It is ingeniously designed to double as a bomb shelter in the event of a nuclear conflict. This strategic depth provides a significant layer of protection, and the system is equipped with massive steel blast doors at each station's entrances.
These doors are capable of sealing off the space from the outside world, thereby transforming the metro into a vast underground bunker designed to safeguard the city's inhabitants during emergencies.
Faced with severe fertilizer shortages, North Korea has turned to an unconventional solution: the use of human waste as fertilizer. The government has instituted a policy requiring households to contribute their own waste to meet agricultural needs, aiming to alleviate the impact of these shortages on farming and food production.
This initiative reflects the country's desperate measures to sustain its agricultural sector amid limited resources and international sanctions. The reliance on human waste for fertilization underscores the extreme lengths to which North Korea is going to address its agricultural challenges and food security issues.
North and South Korea have technically been at war since the Korean War began in 1950. Despite the conflict's active combat operations ending in 1953, a peace treaty was never signed, only an armistice agreement.
This means that while hostilities ceased, the two Koreas remain in a state of war to this day. The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a heavily fortified border, stands as a stark reminder of the ongoing tension and division. This enduring state of conflict underscores the complexities and challenges of achieving reconciliation and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea's stance on the division with South Korea is profoundly rooted in the belief that the Korean Peninsula remains a single entity, artificially divided by external forces. The North Korean government views South Koreans not as citizens of a separate state but as compatriots oppressed by what it perceives as a rebel government installed and supported by Western powers.
This perspective underpins Pyongyang's rejection of the North/South split, framing the issue as one of liberation rather than reunification. North Korea's narrative posits that its efforts are aimed at rescuing fellow Koreans from the influence of a regime it deems illegitimate, promoting a vision of eventual unification under its leadership.
North Korea boasts a literacy rate of 100%, a figure that stands out internationally. This claim is supported by various sources, including the CIA and UNESCO, highlighting a remarkable achievement in education within the country. The North Korean government asserts that every citizen over the age of 15 can read and write, a statistic that is mirrored across both genders.
Despite the challenges and restrictions faced by the country, this reported literacy rate suggests a significant emphasis on education and literacy. However, external verification of these statistics is limited, raising questions about the data's accuracy and the quality of education provided.
Malaysians and Singaporeans hold the unique privilege of being able to travel to North Korea without a visa, a policy reflecting the relatively more amicable diplomatic relations between these countries and the DPRK.
This arrangement allowed citizens of Malaysia and Singapore to enter North Korea for a specified duration without undergoing the standard visa application process, which is typically stringent and closely monitored.
North Korea possesses the fourth-largest military in the world, a fact that underscores the regime's prioritization of military might in its national strategy. With an estimated active duty force of over 1.2 million personnel, the Korean People's Army (KPA) is a massive entity within the global military landscape.
This substantial figure is complemented by a considerable reserve force, ready to be mobilized. North Korea's military capabilities are not just limited to manpower; they also include a significant arsenal of conventional and nuclear weapons. The size and strength of its military are often showcased in grand parades and are central to the country's identity and international posture.
North Korea's leadership, particularly Kim Jong Un, is known for a secret, lavish lifestyle starkly contrasting with the country's widespread poverty. Investigations and reports have revealed opulent details, including as many as 30 luxury villas, private islands, and an array of extravagant possessions, from yachts to private jets.
Kim Jong Un's indulgences extend to exclusive parties on his Ibiza-style island, equipped with all manner of luxury one could imagine. This level of extravagance, funded by secretive operations like Room 39, highlights a profound disparity between the elite's lifestyle and the hardships faced by ordinary North Korean citizens.
Accordions hold a special place in North Korean culture, often referred to as the "people's instrument." Their popularity surged in the 1990s when the government initiated a policy requiring teachers to learn the accordion. It was seen as an ideal instrument for its portability and versatility, capable of accompanying both traditional Korean music and revolutionary songs.
Today, accordions are a staple in North Korean music education, with performances frequently featured in schools, public celebrations, and state events. This deep-rooted affinity underscores the accordion's role in both educational settings and the propagation of state-approved music and ideals.
Rollerblading has emerged as a surprising yet popular pastime in North Korea, especially among the youth in Pyongyang. This trend gained momentum in the early 2010s when the country's first rollerblading park was opened.
Since then, rollerblading has been promoted as a healthy and modern recreational activity, aligning with the government's efforts to showcase a vibrant and youthful image of North Korea. Images and reports from state media often depict children and teenagers skating in parks and plazas, highlighting rollerblading as a symbol of leisure and happiness amidst the nation's strict and controlled social fabric.
North Korea is considered one of the least developed countries in the world, but the coal use causes its air to be heavily polluted.
The Worldwide Health Organization estimates that the country has 89 pollution-related deaths for every 100,000 people.
All across the city of Pyongyang, you’d see propaganda billboards and various photos of Kim Il-Song and Kim Jong-Il. However, no pictures or propaganda billboards are devoted to Kim Jong-Un, nor does he appear on any official sites.
No photos, no name, no mention. Citizens claim it’s because he’s modest and doesn’t like to be photographed.
