Wiekes weetjes: bizarre feitjes over Noord-Korea
My whole life I have had a strange obsession with North Korea. I find it such a fascinating and disturbed country. In fact, I even planned to take the Trans-Mongolian Express and then travel by train to North Korea from Vladivostok. My surroundings thought it was a particularly bad plan of mine, by the way. So far, it hasn't happened, although I would really like to see the country myself. But I also find it scary, and these ten facts don't make it any less so.
1. They have a different calendar than the rest of the world
We live in the 21st century, they are in the year 110. It is the 106th Juche year, because they count from the birth of their great leader Kim Il-Sung. He was born on April 15, 1912, and that is also the start of the North Korean calendar.
2. They hold elections every year
Ehh, what? This surprised me immensely, because if we know anything about North Korea, it is that everything is under the leadership of one guy. So why do they still hold elections every year? Well, for example, because they only have one option to vote for. Whether it's for a new mayor or any other election: there is only one candidate on the ballot.
3. The three-generation punishment
Still hard to comprehend, but in North Korea, it is part of life. When someone commits a crime, not only that person is punished, but they take three generations with them. So if I were to renew a statue of Kim Jong-Il as a North Korean, my great-grandparents, parents, and kids would also go to the labor camp.
4. They can only visit 28 websites
The internet does not exist in North Korea; they use a kind of intranet called ‘Kwangmyong’. With that, they can only visit 28 websites, which are, of course, all arranged by the government. Bizarre: you also need permission to buy a computer. But once you have one, the intranet is free.
5. You are not allowed to wear jeans
So leave your Levi's at home if you're heading to North Korea. Jeans are seen there as a symbol of American imperialism, and they want nothing to do with that.
6. Men can only choose from 28 hairstyles
What do they have with the number 28, huh? If you thought you could just go to the barber and see how you come out: think again. You have 28 styles to choose from, and that's it. No dreadlocks, no blonde tips, nothing.
7. Religion is not allowed
I expected this a bit, but I didn't know it was actually just forbidden to do anything with religion. The country calls itself an atheist state, and practicing and/or expressing a certain religion is completely illegal there.
8. But weed is allowed
Yeah, man, smoke yourself silly there, that makes nothing. You can just buy it by the roadside. No tolerance policy like in the Netherlands, by the way; it's just completely legal.
9. The capital of North Korea has the largest stadium in the world
No less than 150,000 people can fit in the Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang. And yes, that is really gigantic (number two on this list has 40,000 fewer seats). This is also where the Mass Games are held every year, and that is also something you really want to see. something you really want to see.
10. There are only three television channels
And those three are — of course — managed by the government. Can you imagine only having Netherlands 1, 2, and 3 and that the only programs are also about the country, packed with propaganda?
