25 Everyday Activities That Are Illegal In North Korea

The punishment for talking to the outside world is death. Several people have been executed for trying to contact their relatives in South Korea.

The only opinion you’re allowed to have is the one approved by the government.

Or an android, or a PC. Basically anything electronic from the west.

All music must “glorify the regime.” Listening to foreign tunes is grounds for execution.

As US student Otto Warmbier found out, messing with state propaganda will get you decades of hard labor.

Basically, don’t say anything bad about the President…ever.

Given that it sees itself as the only true Korea, the official name is Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. And that is the name you had better use while in the country.

This one applies primarily to tourists…you can’t just take pictures of whatever you want. There are a lot of things and places that are off limits.

People aren’t allowed to move freely around the country. In fact, there is less than 1 car per 1000 people.

According to defectors, sarcasm is not a thing in North Korea. Whatever you say is taken seriously…so be very careful.

This will earn you a one way ticket to a “re-education camp.”

Don’t do it. Just don’t. (There’s some confusion…and it’s bothersome that they don’t really know)

There are only designated days on which citizens are allowed to drink. In 2012, an officer in the military was executed with a mortar for drinking during the 100-day mourning of Kim Jong Il.

All haircuts must be government approved. (There are 28 approved styles.)

If you leave the country and are caught, you’ll be brought back to North Korea for execution. Also, your family may be executed along with you.

The government decides who gets to live in the capital. And not surprisingly, it’s usually the people with the best connections.

Watching porn will get you dead. Kim Jong-Un even had his ex-girlfriend executed right in front of her own family because she made a sex tape.

As an atheist state, North Korea doesn’t take kindly to practice of religion. In 2013, 80 Christians were publicly executed in a stadium because they were in possession of bibles.

People can only access state sponsored websites. Attempting to circumnavigate the firewall will…well, you know the deal.

Voting is mandatory. Also, voting for the wrong person may be bad for your health.

You’re not allowed to wear denim because it is associated with North Korea’s sworn enemy – the United States.

North Koreans are only allowed to watch state propaganda. Several hundred people have been executed for watching South Korean channels.

While this is illegal most places, what sets North Korea apart is that if you try to escape, your family will be punished for four generations (grandparents, parents, and kids).

If you show up to North Korea with so much as a travel guide, get ready to have issues. They don’t take “foreign propaganda” lightly.

Recently, a journalist was executed for making a typo in an article. Thankfully, List25 management is slightly more forgiving!