Ban On Laughing For 10 Days In This Country

It is no secret that North Korea has an authoritarian regime. Like all authoritarian regimes, the needs of the people are subjugated to those of the regime. Rigid control plus severe punishments and execution are followed to maintain the social order. In a similar vein, citizens of North Korea have been banned from laughing for 10 days to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of former Supreme Leader Kim Jong Il.

Kim Jing-iL died on December 17, 2011, and today marks the 10th anniversary of his death. No wonder, the leader has come up with this strange law as life is literally that regimented in all aspects. And the ban on laughing is among many such bizarre restrictions imposed on North Koreans to mark the occasion.

Any violation of the ban during the 10-day mourning period will invite serious consequences. In fact, in the previous years, many people were arrested for drinking or enjoying themselves during the mourning. They were treated as ideological criminals. A citizen makes a shocking statement that some people were taken away and never seen again.

During the mourning period, no one will be allowed to celebrate birthdays or any other events. Presently, North Korea is hosting several events to commemorate Kim Jong Il’s life, including a public display of his photography and art, a concert, and an exhibition of the ‘Kimjongilia’, a flower named after him.

Kim Jong-il was the second supreme leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He led North Korea from the 1994 death of his father Kim Il-sung, the first Supreme Leader, until his own death in 2011 when he was succeeded by his son, Kim Jong-un. The present supreme leader of NK, Kim Jong-Un makes a totalitarian dictatorship that relies on complete obedience by its citizens in order to stay in power.