Kim Jong-Un keeps an iron grip on the people of North Korea in order to retain control. While living in an authoritarian dictatorship is a horrific reality the people of that country have to live with on a daily basis, some of the restrictions on their lives are slightly more ridiculous than others. For example, Kim Jong-Un has now reportedly banned a whole host of fashion choices to stop the influence of the “exotic and decadent” Western lifestyle.
- Mullets and skinny jeans are out. To be fair, skinny jeans are already “out” in the Western world, so they’re really just following the trends anyway. As for mullets, they are definitely experiencing a resurgence thanks to COVID-19, but I doubt that I’d call that hairstyle “decadent” or “exotic.” I could think of a few descriptors, but those two aren’t it.
- But wait, there’s more. Pyongyang residents (and people living elsewhere in North Korea) are also not allowed to wear t-shirts with slogans on them, nose rings, or ripped jeans. Kim Jong-Un apparently believes banning these things will keep the country from becoming “capitalistic.”
- Kim Jong-un and the Worker’s Party of Korea have explained the ruling. South Korean news agency Yonhap says that the North Korean government’s Rondong Sinmun newspaper explained the new rules as follows: “History teaches us a crucial lesson that a country can become vulnerable and eventually collapse like a damp wall regardless of its economic and defense power if we do not hold on to our own lifestyle. We must be wary of even the slightest sign of the capitalistic lifestyle and fight to get rid of them.”
- The guidelines have always been pretty strict. Previous to the new rulings, there were 15 “approved” haircuts in North Korea that residents could choose from. In addition, the government recently told people to report anyone consuming “non-socialist phenomena” including foreign videos, magazines, etc.
