Welcome to one of the most restrictive
countries in the world.
Ruled by an enigmatic,
tyrannical
and violent leader,
North Korean citizens and tourists
can be threatened with jail
or execution for the slightest mistake.
Today we compile 11 everyday
things that can send you to prison
or even get
you executed
in the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea.
You won't believe why
one man was executed
with anti-aircraft fire.
Any foreign movies
television series
or music is strictly forbidden.
You can be shot
just for watching an American movie
or, worse, a South Korean drama.
Defector Yoon Mi-So
was 11 years old
when she saw a man
executed in public
for owning a South Korean drama.
Witnessing executions like these
is mandatory.
Not doing so would be considered treason,
and you could face a similar fate.
Kim Geum-hyok was 16
when police
raided his home in 2009
and found DVDs
of South Korean pop music.
He was detained and tortured for days,
but he never confessed
that it was his own father
who gave him the DVDs.
His father had connections
that allowed him
to bribe the guards
to free his son.
A few years later,
Kim managed to escape the country.
Nowadays, people share movies
and series on encrypted USB sticks.
Foreign books are forbidden,
but there is one
especially dangerous to possess.
The Bible.
Classifying itself
as an atheist state,
North Korea has banned all religions.
In the case of the Bible.
it's also considered
a symbol of Western culture.
In 2014,
American Jeffrey Fowle was arrested
after leaving a Bible
in a restaurant bathroom.
He was accused of being a missionary,
charged with crimes
against the state
and sentenced to hard labor.
After five months of arduous
diplomatic efforts,
Fowle was released,
but his friends were kept in custody.
If you practice a religion,
remember that while in the country,
do not bring any religious objects
such as necklaces, images
and especially a Bible.
I know we love them,
but in North Korea
jeans are considered
a symbol of American culture.
Because of this,
they are strictly forbidden.
In 2021,
dictator Kim Jong-un
also banned tight pants
and lip and nose piercings.
According to him,
they represent a capitalist lifestyle.
If you want to visit this country,
you'll have to forget fashion
altogether.
In Western culture,
hair is a form of expression,
but in North Korea
this doesn't seem to be the case.
Many reports claim
that men can only choose
between 10 to 15 haircuts,
while women must wear one of these
18 hairstyles.
As for mullets,
don't even think about it.
They were banned in 2021.
But wait.
I know a guy with a wild haircut
in North Korea.
Oh, yeah,
that’s the guy.
Well,
I guess you can make an exception
for yourself.
Weed grows freely
on the roadsides of North Korea,
a rumor that led some media outlets
to believe that it was legal
and cheap to sell.
Some websites even predicted
that the country
would become the new Amsterdam.
They were soon proven wrong.
The plants are industrial hemp,
which has very little THC.
This is weed’s psychoactive component,
and the authorities have made it clear
that marijuana is as illegal
as cocaine or heroin.
Don't be fooled, my friend,
it can be a very bad trip.
It is normal for travelers
to exchange for local currency
when arriving in another country,
but this isn’t the case
in the Hermit Kingdom.
The North Korean won is
generally only for citizens.
As a foreigner,
you should use U.S. dollars,
euros or the Chinese yuan.
Do not try to get
North Korean currency
as a souvenir to take home with you
since it might get you arrested.
Also, never try to enter stores
for the locals.
The state will provide you with a guide
who will “kindly”
tell you which stores are open for tourists.
Every North Korean family
must keep a portrait
of former leaders
Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.
They must be displayed high up
so that no one can surpass them
in height.
The family must also keep
the portraits spotless.
Guards regularly
inspect the frames of each house.
Even a
thin layer of dust can
get you a hefty fine.
In 2020, when her house caught fire,
a mother ran to save her two children
but left behind the portraits.
She was detained
and even denied antibiotics
for her children
to help with their injuries.
Her fate remains unknown,
but she is reported to be
facing a jail sentence.
Every year,
beginning on December 17,
North Koreans are required
to mourn for one day
for every year since the 2010 passing
of former leader Kim Jong-Il.
During this period,
people cannot laugh,
drink alcohol,
exercise
or even grocery shop.
Police patrol
the streets and inspect homes
to make sure everyone is grieving
the leader's death.
People who do not observe
these strict rules
are prosecuted as ideological criminals.
During a 2015 event
attended by Kim Jong-un,
Defense Minister Hyon Yong-chol
fell asleep
and failed to comply
with the leader’s instructions.
The dictator was so angered
by the perceived disloyalty
that he sentenced him to be executed,
but instead of a firing squad as usual,
Hyon was placed
in front of an anti-aircraft gun
and killed.
In 2016, student Otto Warmbier
took a guided tour.
He was the only American in the group.
As the tourists were about
to board a plane,
Otto was stopped by the military.
According to the authorities,
Otto stole a propaganda poster
from one of the restricted areas
of the hotel the group was staying.
While in custody,
he was forced to read a confession
in which he said
he had committed the crime
at the request of a Methodist church,
a university secret society
and the U.S. government.
After 17 months of tense negotiations
between the U.S. and North Korea,
Otto was released in 2017,
but the young man was in a coma.
He died shortly after
returning home
at the age of 22.
It was never clear
whether Otto actually stole the poster,
but the U.S. government warns Americans
not to travel to North Korea
because of the high risk
of political imprisonment.
You may have to reign
in your curiosity
and avoid visiting such a hostile place.
As restrictive and violent
as this regime is,
some people have managed
to escape its cruel rules.
We compiled the most exciting stories
of North Korean defectors,
like this girl
who snuck into the country
several times
to rescue her family.
How did she do it?
We will tell you here,
on How to Survive.