North Korean people banned from laughing for 11 days: Details

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has imposed a ban on laughing, drinking alcohol, and grocery shopping for the next eleven days as the country entered a mourning period from Friday, marking the 10th death anniversary of former leader Kim Jong-il, who ruled North Korea from 1994 to 2011.

While a ten day mourning period is usually observed every year on the death anniversary of Kim Jong-il, it will apparently go on for eleven days this year as it’s the 10th anniversary. A resident of Sinuiju, one of the border cities of the country, confirmed the news to Radio Free Asia, claiming that all leisure activities have been banned during this period. “People cannot even celebrate their own birthdays if they fall within the mourning period,” the report mentioned.

The North Korean citizen, under the condition of anonymity, had said, “In the past, many people who were caught drinking or being intoxicated during the mourning period were arrested and treated as ideological criminals. They were taken away and never seen again.” He further added, “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.”