To honour the 10th death anniversary of their leader, Kim Jong-il, North Korean civilians are prohibited from laughing or exhibiting any displays of happiness for 11 days, according to The Hindustan Times.
To confirm the prohibition, the newspaper referenced a news item from Radio Free Asia, which described a citizen claiming that during the mourning time, all leisure activities, including laughing, drinking, and food shopping, are prohibited.
This is not a new practice, as similar limits have been applied in the past. According to the report, “many persons who were caught drinking or inebriated during the limitation were imprisoned and handled as ideological criminals, and were never seen again,” according to an anonymous North Korean citizen.
This isn’t only about this strange custom; individuals aren’t permitted to celebrate birthdays, cry, or mourn even when someone dies. If someone passes away during the mourning period, their funerals are held after the period has ended.
Every year on the anniversary, this mourning period lasts for 10 days, however this year it will last for 11 days.
Kim Jong Il controlled North Korea for 17 years before transferring the reins to his son in December 2011.
Since 1948, the country has been controlled by three generations of the Kim dynasty.
North Koreans are raised to idolise Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, and all adults are required to wear badges representing one or both of them.
Kim Jong Un was seen bowing before a big image of his father on a platform overlooking what appeared to be thousands of people on the palace grounds, according to footage broadcast by KCTV.
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