Kim Jong Un bans dogs and certain haircuts in North Korea

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un has banned dogs and certain haircuts among the population where even the most mundane aspects of daily life are regulated.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, also known as North Korea) is one of the most heavily censored countries in the world. It recently caused a stir when it was revealed the national broadcaster had censored a pair of jeans worn by British TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh after a repeat of a BBC show was aired.

The offending item of blue denim jeans are viewed as a sign of US imperialism and have been banned in the country since the early 90s. But they are far from the only mundane items to have rules around them.

Western fashion is strictly prohibited and last year, North Korea’s Rejection of Reactionary Thought and Culture Act had an addition made. Officials declared that any woman who wears clothing that does not sit below the knee line defies the principles of “socialist etiquette”.

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According to an anonymous North Korean resident, the crackdown on women wearing shorts or anything above the knee came amid 30 degree Celsius temperatures.

Speaking anonymously to Radio Free Asia, a resident of North Korea’s South Pyongan province explained: “The authorities are stopping women who wear shorts on the streets, saying that it is not in line with socialist tradition and lifestyle.

“A few years ago, they were cracking down on wide-legged skirt pants, saying they were Japanese fashion.

“Many women are complaining, asking why men can wear shorts and women can't. They are saying that the authorities are discriminating against us.”

The haircuts deemed suitable by the regime are also limited, with around 15 styles to choose from. Men are expected to maintain short hair, while women can have slightly longer hair that remains conservative in style.

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Even within their own homes, the lives of North Koreans are dictated somewhat by the regime. Every household is required to hang portraits of Kim and former leaders Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung.

Keeping dogs as pets is also banned because it “is incompatible with the socialist lifestyle”. According to a source who spoke to Daily NK, the new rule was told to the Socialist Women Union of Korea.

A source in the South Pyongan Province explained: “In view of the growing number of families with pet dogs at home, the Socialist Women’s Union of Korea recently informed its members that treating a dog as a family member who eats and sleeps with the family is incompatible with the socialist lifestyle and should be strictly avoided.”

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Authorities labelled the practice of keeping dogs as pets as having “the stench of the bourgeoisie”.

They claimed: “Dogs are basically meat that’s raised outside in accordance with their nature and then eaten when they die. Therefore, such behaviour is totally unsocialist and must be strictly eliminated.”

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