Random Details of Daily Life of Citizens In North Korea (12 items)

• (#6) People Eat Grass Because There Is Not Enough Food

  Though the North Korean government insists their country is a utopia, there have long been reports that the nation is plagued by a food shortage. Because the food supply is so erratic, North Koreans have had to resort to desperate alternatives, like eating grass.

  Although hunger can drive people to do out-of-character things, the government insists that the populace views their hunger as a tool for the greater good. According to Vladimir Putin, the North Koreans will "eat grass, but they will not turn away from the path that will provide for their security." Translation: he thinks they will gladly go without food if it means advancing the country's nuclear arsenal.
• (#3) Anti-American Propaganda Is Everywhere

  Anti-American sentiment in North Korea is not just reflected in the country's public policy, or used as a way to cultivate frenzied fear at political rallies. It is woven into the very fabric of the nation. As early as elementary school, North Korean students are given lessons that are nothing more than anti-American propaganda.

  Since Trump has escalated tensions with North Korea, anti-American propaganda is at an all-time high. There are billboards showing the destruction of the United States, abundant conspiracy theories about America that are promoted by the North Korean government, and anti-American rhetoric casually enmeshed in North Koreans' everyday lives.
• (#2) The Population Has A Major Problem With Meth

  6 caught for #trafficking #NorthKorea #meth in #SouthKorea. How much North Korean meth is out there?#OrganizedCrime. https://t.co/xeBJFJSM7y pic.twitter.com/2EPnD1WCGl

  — Inshik Sim (@yasdre) February 16, 2017

  When North Korea lost financial support from the Soviet Union in the wake of the USSR's collapse, desperate times called for desperate measures. Widespread poverty and famine caused decades of death and destruction. To make money, the government started manufacturing meth so pure that it has tested as high as 98% on purity scales. Now, many North Koreans are hooked. According to Vice:

  "Suited elites in Pyongyang restaurants offer each other a 'nose' after dinner, the middle classes take it as a cold cure or remedy for back pain, and the poor take it to ease the emptiness in their stomachs."
• (#5) Practicing Christianity Is Forbidden And Punishable By Death

  In North Korea, the main deity is Kim Jong-un. Though there are some state-approved Christian churches in North Korea, defectors insist these are just for show; allegedly, there is no such thing as religious tolerance in North Korea.

  If you are caught practicing Christianity without explicit permission from the state, you could be executed. According to UPI, "In one particular case, 33 North Korean Christians who came into contact with South Korean Christian groups, most likely in China, were summarily executed."
• 

  (#1) Public Executions Are A Regular Occurrence

  In a country where practically every aspect of life is regulated and monitored, anyone going against the norm is bound to stand out. Seriously, North Korea does not look kindly on those who stand out; the government views non-conformity as rebellion, which they feel must be quashed quickly, thoroughly, and as early on as possible.

  By meticulously enforcing hegemonic thought, the government maintains a tight chokehold on its citizenry. North Koreans are routinely executed in public, often for minor crimes. In one particularly chilling story, a defector told of a group of 11 people who were publicly executed in a packed football stadium as punishment for making a pornographic movie:

  "[They] were brought out, tied up, hooded and apparently gagged, so they could not make a noise, not beg for mercy or even scream…They were lashed to the end of anti-aircraft guns… It was so horrible and I could not eat for three days as it made my stomach churn. What I saw that day made me sick in my stomach. Despite [my family's] privilege, I was scared. I saw terrible things in Pyongyang."
• (#10) Women Are Made To Wear School Uniforms Through College

  School uniforms breed social uniformity, or at least that's likely the rationale behind the North Korean government's rules regarding school dress codes. All students must wear uniforms throughout their primary education. In college, women must still wear uniforms. Women also cannot wear short skirts or sleeveless tops at any time. Women's shirts must reach at least the knees, and women are never permitted to wear pants.

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