16 Crazy Laws That Only Exist In North Korea

28 hair styles

The first of these strange laws concerns your hair. There are 28 government approved hair styles in North Korea. That’s it. 10 for men, 18 for women.

While I certainly think some haircuts should be discouraged (man-buns!), no haircut should be illegal.

Permission to live

Want to live in the capital? You Need Permission, bud. That’s right, if you want to live in North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang, then you need to get state permission.

Vote for the same person

Only 55% of eligible U.S citizens voted during the 2016 election. In North Korea it is illegal not to vote, as the government mandates that all of its citizens must vote.

Unfortunately, the government also mandates that all 100% of North Korean citizens vote for the same person.

Bible is prohibited

Another hallmark of an authoritarian regime is controlling religion. If you are caught with a Bible in North Korea, you could be imprisoned or executed.

I guess the government believes that if the people believe in a power higher than the government, then they could revolt.

Punishment to whole family

If a North Korean citizen commits a crime, their whole family could face punishment. Like many other despotic governments, the threat of incarceration and severe punishment always weighs heavy over North Korean citizens’ lives.

Nothing to watch

If there is one thing authoritarian states want to control, it’s information and communication. And because of that, North Korea controls the airwaves.

There are only 3 TV channels to choose from and the programming is all strictly controlled by the government.

You can't escape

If you try to flee North Korea and are caught, you will be executed or consigned to a labor camp. While it is hard to get into North Korea, it is even harder to leave.

Human waste

Back in 2008, North Korea stopped receiving fertilizer for its farm land from South Korea. A traditionally mountainous and arid country, North Korea needed the fertilizer to make its farm land produce enough food for the population of 25 million. To correct this deficiency, North Korea turned to human-waste.

Each factory in North Korea is mandated to supply farmers with as much human waste as they need.

Internet for leaders only

The only people who are allowed to have access to the internet in North Korea are political leaders and their families, students at elite universities and members of their military’s cyber warfare department. No one else is allowed online.

3 caste system

There is a three-caste system in North Korea and it is truly disturbing. North Korea’s founder, Kim Il Sung, established the three-caste system in 1957 to better control his populace. Society is broken down into these three classes: core, wavering, and hostiles.

Those who are most loyal to the government were placed in the ‘core’ class and those least loyal to the government were places in the ‘hostiles’ class.

Redstar OS

Not only that, but the computers in North Korea run their own state-made operating system. There is no Window’s and Mac OS in North Korea, only Red Star OS.

Monitored tourism

If you are somehow allowed to visit North Korea as a tourist, be prepared to have a government official watch over your every step.

Every interaction, photograph, and visit must first be approved by the government.

Difficult conditions for women

The women in North Korea’s military have to endure incredibly difficult conditions.

First of all, they all have to have the same haircut, but they are also required to always march in unison. One misstep could be all it takes to get sent to a labor camp.

No wifi

Wi-Fi has been banned at North Korean embassies around the world. It’s not clear if any citizens have access to wi-fi, but based on the embassy ban, we doubt it.

No driving for most

Another strange North Korean law is that most citizens are not allowed to drive. One of the more striking parts of photographs taken within North Korea are the vast stretches of empty highway.

Only government-sanctioned individuals may own and drive a car.

And last but not least;

It is against the law to make an international call in North Korea without permission from the government.

In 2007, a man was alleged to have been shot and killed by the government after making a number of international calls.