North Korea restricts its citizens from laughing, shopping for 11 days

Pyongyang: North Korea has restricted its citizens from laughing or showing any signs of happiness for 11 days.

The Indian English-language daily newspaper ‘Hindustan Times reported that North Korea has prohibited its people from all forms of leisure including laughing and shopping for 11 days beginning Friday.

The ban has been announced as part of the 11-day mourning period on the 10th death anniversary of the former leader, Kim Jong-il.

According to a resident, quoted by Radio Free Asia, all leisure activities have been banned for this mourning period, including drinking, grocery shopping etc. 

Kim Jong-il was 69 when he died due to a heart attack on December 17, 2011. He ruled North Korea from 1994 to 2011 and was succeeded by his son Kim Jong-un.

Those who break the rules will be arrested.

“Even if your family member dies during the mourning period, you are not allowed to cry out loud and the body must be taken out after it’s over. People cannot even celebrate their own birthdays if they fall within the mourning period,” a resident was quoted as saying by Radio Free Asia.

Kim pays respects at the memorial of his father every year. Normally, it’s a 10-day mourning period but for the current year an exception was created with an additional day.

In the past, people caught drinking or being intoxicated during the mourning period have been treated as ideological criminals, according to Radio Free Asia.