Here are some surprising facts about North Korea from AskMen.com.
10. Voting ballots have only one option
And you guessed it — that one option is for the leader. That’s a sham of an election if we ever heard one.
9. North Koreans born after the Korean War are about 2 inches (five centimetres) shorter than South Koreans
North Korean war veterans. Source: AP
This height difference is attributed to the fact that six million North Koreans are in need of food, and one-third of children are chronically malnourished.
8. Kim Jong-il kidnapped a film director
Kim Jong-il, the father of current leader Kim Jong-un, kidnapped film director Shin Sang-OK and his wife and forced him to create acclaimed North Korean films. Among the films created was North Korea’s own version of Godzilla, called Pulgasari. Shin Sang-OK and his wife escaped years later.
7. North Korea built a fake village to get South Koreans to come in
The village of Kijong-dong, North Korea. Source: News Corp Australia
In the 1950s after the Korean War, North Korea built Kijong-Dong (Peace Village), a city visible from the border, to encourage South Koreans in. It’s actually a ghost city.
6. The year is 102
It’s not 2014 in North Korea. The year is 102, counted after the birth of Kim Il-Sung, Kim Jong-un’s grandfather.
5. There are 28 state-approved haircuts
There are limits to how long your hair can be. Source: News Limited
Men can’t grow their hair longer than five inches (12.7cm). Older men can go up to three inches (7.6cm). Women can choose one of 14 styles, depending on whether they are married or not.
4. Marijuana is legal and not even classified as a drug ...
... But distributing pornography, owning bibles and watching South Korean movies are punishable by death. In fact, 80 people across several cities were reportedly killed in November in a public execution for the latter two offences.
3. Wearing jeans is illegal
Leave the jeans at home if travelling to North Korea. Source: Supplied
Like your casual wear? Not in North Korea you don’t. Denim symbolises the enemy — the United States.
2. Kim Jong-il spent $1.3m on Hennessy per year
That’s 800 times the average North Korean’s annual income (estimated to be between $1200 and $2500). The current leader’s father liked his cognac.
1. North Korea claims a 100 per cent literacy rate
Considering half of the population lives in extreme poverty, and according to a recent UN report, two-thirds of the population do not know where their next meal will come from, we’re prone to think this may be inaccurate.
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