There's no place on Earth that's quite as isolated as North Korea, which makes it one
of the most intriguing cultures on the planet.
Thanks to details shared by people who have visited or defected, we've gotten a clearer
picture of what it's like to live in North Korea, and sometimes it's the absence of the
little things that can be the most shocking.
Although members of North Korea's elite can get their hands on just about anything they
want, ordinary North Koreans are resigned to a world without many of the things we Westerners
take for granted.
Here are a few staple items of our culture that are off-limits to the ordinary North
Korean citizen.
Coca-Cola
There are only a scant few countries on earth where Coca-Cola does not do business, and
naturally North Korea is one of them.
Sanctions have made it impossible for the soda giant to infiltrate the Hermit Kingdom,
but that doesn't mean the North Korean people don't have a taste for The Real Thing.
You can buy any number of different Coke knock-offs in ordinary restaurants and grocery stores,
and at least one of them sort of looks a little bit like a real Coke.
According to The Telegraph, if you're a wealthy North Korean, a Chinese businessman, or a
tourist, you can get your hands on it.
But even then you'll be reassured by the waitstaff that you're not drinking cola made by "saber-rattling
imperialists."
No, it's "Italian Coke," made in Italy… whatever that is.
Kim Jong-un's Haircut
A few years ago, Kim Jong-un's haircut was actual fashion.
Men all over the country wanted to look like their Dear Leader, so they had themselves
cut to match.
Now, despite a viral story that fooled plenty, the haircut was not in fact mandatory — people
were doing it out of love.
But alas, all that flattery-by-imitation started to annoy the supreme leader so he's had the
cut left off of the list of "state-approved" haircuts.
Which is probably a good thing, since mirrors are still available in North Korean markets.
Pop music
Music is a sensitive subject for Kim Jong-un.
If it doesn't say nice things about him, or at the very least nice things about his departed
ancestors, the regime, and the great land of North Korea, it's a capital crime.
The regime recently had 12 musicians, including Jong-un's ex-girlfriend, publicly executed
for such crimes as singing about stuff the dear leader doesn't approve of.
The official reason for for most of these sentences was that the music was akin to "pornography,"
but that hasn't stopped some music fans from forming an underground market for restricted
listening material.
There are even some reports that his ban is actively generating interest in old, prohibited
songs.
Starbucks
What could be more imperialist than a caramel macchiato from Starbucks?
The coffee chain is definitely an American institution, which is why you won't find one
in Pyongyang.
There are coffee shops in North Korea's capital that have a similar feel to what you'd find
on any given corner in the metro cities of the United States, so there's no love lost
on the lack of mermaid symbolitry.
As one North Korean coffee shop owner said of the American chain,
"I think it's for people who don't really understand good coffee."
Now, that burns.
Hair dye
Going blonde is not an option for North Koreans, and neither is going red, green, or rainbow-striped.
Everyone's hair has to be black, unless it's gray — only then do you have the option
of dying it.
Hair dye is considered a "capitalist trend" and must be eradicated at all costs.
So what happens if you defy the regime and get your hair dyed anyway?
Both you and your hairdresser get punished.
McDonald's
North Koreans also can't get McDonald's... unless they're among the super rich who can
afford to have their Happy Meals imported from China, of course.
Otherwise, citizens have to thank their former leader, Kim Jong-Il for inventing the hamburger
himself in 2009... or so they're told.
This is where that whole limited information thing comes in handy, guys.
iPhones
It might come as no surprise that the same nation that doesn't allow most citizens to
use the full internet wouldn't get in on the iPhone craze.
But it's not for the reason you think.
Like other American companies, Apple just doesn't do business in North Korea.
As such, citizens who want to have mobile phones rely on imitation Apple products, like
the North Korean smartphone that looks suspiciously like the iPhone.
What its App Store is allowed to contain is anyone's guess..
Piercings
You can get your ears pierced in North Korea, but forget a nose piercing or a cute little
belly ring.
Piercings are also seen as symbols of Western imperialism, much like jeans and ponytails....
which makes Kim Jong-Un's strange friendship with Dennis Rodman all the more perplexing.
According to The Telegraph, the North Korean fashion police are also in search of skirts
that are too short, shoes that aren't the right shape, blue jeans, and people wearing
T-shirts.
The potential punishment for these indiscretions?
Labor camps.
Yes, really.
Are you really willing to sacrifice everything for your denim?
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