Following his interesting ban of skinny jeans and mullets this spring, Kim Jong Un has imposed another odd restriction on the people of North Korea – they’re not allowed to laugh for 11 days in commemoration of the loss of his father and former ruler, Kim Jong Il, who died 10 years ago on December 17th.
“During the mourning period, we must not drink alcohol, laugh or engage in leisure activities,” a resident of a northeastern city called Sinuiju told Radio Free Asia’s Korean Service, as per Complex. “In the past many people who were caught drinking or being intoxicated during the mourning period were arrested and treated as ideological criminals. They were taken away and never seen again.”
The same resident also shared that North Koreans are unable to celebrate birthdays that fall during the mourning period, or even hold funeral services. “If your family member dies during the mourning period, you are not allowed to cry out loud and the body must be taken out after it’s over,” they explained. “People cannot even celebrate their own birthdays if they fall within the mourning period.”
Kim Jong Il, who ruled the country from 1993 until his passing, died of a heart attack in 2011. Prior to his time as supreme leader, his father, Kim Il Sung held the position, and was actually the one to establish the country of North Korea back in 1948.
As we mentioned earlier, Kim Jong Un previously made the decision to ban things like tight jeans, body piercings, and mullet-style haircuts due to their promotion of a “capitalistic lifestyle” back in May. Read more about that here.
[Via]