The recent Sony hack has U.S. intelligence officials pointing fingers at the isolated country of North Korea. The Sony film, “The Interview,” parodied North Korean leader President Kim Jong-un, and its formal release has been put on hold over threats by the hackers and fear of reprisals. These 15 crazy facts about North Korea are an opportunity to shine light on a dark place and its horrifying human rights record.
Sources: vox.com, washingtonpost.com, dummies.com, vicenews.com, usnews.com, rocketnews24.com, buzzfeed.com, biography.com, listverse.com, npr.org
Every household that can afford a TV (mostly just in the capital of Pyongyang) is allotted just three government channels; two are available on the weekends, and one in the evenings. TV is controlled by the Korean Workers Party under the fist of President Kim Jong-un. Every piece of information is designed to favor the “supreme leader.”
It has been reported that every household and place of business in Pyongyang has a radio which pumps out government propaganda. This radio cannot be turned off, just the volume turned down.
There are 28 state-approved haircuts in North Korea that citizens must conform to. Women are allowed 14 different styles and the rules are different for married women (shorter cuts) and single women (longer and curlier). Older men can grow their hair up to three inches in length, but younger chaps must keep it shorter than two inches.
Those who are overtly the most loyal to the government are granted permission to live in the capital city. With a population of 3 million in a country of more than 24 million, Pyongyang is a highly exclusive place for only the wealthy elite.
Even in Pyongyang, residents are only granted an hour or two of electricity a day. Just take a long look at the satellite photo above of the Korean Peninsula after dark. A limited diet is also imposed on them; many of the capital’s residents suffer from malnutrition. The condition of the people in the countryside is worse.
The U.N. imposed sanctions against North Korea for selling missile technology to other countries, but this has not stopped them. Countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, and Syria have been caught in mid trade dealing ballistics weapons with North Korea. Where does the money go?
Into the pockets of Kim Jong-un and his cabinet goes the mostly laundered money that could feed a nation — this in a country whose residents live on an average income of about $1,500 per year. Kim Jong-un’s late father, Kim Jong-il, was reported to have imported about $763,000 worth of cognac every year for his personal use.
Cannabis is legal in North Korea, both for possession and consumption. Methamphetamine production is said to be an encouraged for selling abroad.
Because of heavy embargoes on the country after 2008 by South Korea and Russia, animal feces supplies dwindled in North Korea, relied upon for agriculture in a land short on fertilizer. The solution: human feces. By government mandate, every citizen is forced to save their feces for fertilizer, and a black market for human waste has emerged.
Pyongyang’s Rungnado May Day stadium is the largest stadium in the world, with up to 150,000 seats. The annual hyper-nationalist mass games celebration is, at surface level, a feast of colors, talented dancers, musicians, and cathartic joy. In reality, thousands of the performers — especially children — are coerced into backbreaking rehearsals in order to display their prowess to the Kim family.
Everything’s OK in the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea — there are free elections every five years. Thing is, the ballot has had only one candidate: Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un — whichever dictator is dictating. Casting a vote is mandatory too, so not surprisingly, in 2011, Kim Jong-un got 100 percent of the votes.
Many schools require that the parents pay not only for their kids’ pencils and paper, but their desks, chairs, and fuel for heating. Some parents bribe the teachers to let them pull their kids from school because of these fees.
So sayeth North Korea. The CIA reports this as well.
“Military First” is the North Korean songun policy — a policy that prioritizes the Korean People’s Army when it comes to allocation of resources. One of the largest armies in the world, it has 1.2 million personnel, and more than 6 million reservists up to age 60.
North Korean researchers say the country’s citizens are the second happiest in the world, right behind China. The same researchers rank the U.S. last on the rankings. Smiley face emoticon!
There are 200,000 people languishing in prison labor camps; six million suffering from poverty and isolation; and numerous reports of assassinations and torture. A total media blackout is imposed on the population of North Korea.