Internal sources in North Korea have revealed that the government has added the “rooster hairstyle” and shirts with transparent sleeves to its list of prohibited items, claiming that they would tarnish the image of the socialist system. Those found in violation of these regulations could face up to six months of hard labor.
According to a report by Radio Free Asia, a resident from Hamgyongbuk Province in North Korea told the radio station’s Korean department that authorities explained the details of these regulations through videos during regular lectures held for the public. Individuals who defy the hairstyle regulations will have their heads shaved.
These prohibitions add to the existing restrictions on people’s fashion choices in North Korea. Other items banned include sleeveless shirts, jeans, dyed hair, unwrinkled pants, T-shirts with foreign characters, shoulder bags (especially for women), long hair that extends beyond the waist, shorts, and tight-fitting tops.
Many of these prohibitions target typical clothing styles of South Korean or other capitalist countries. Under North Korea’s “Law on Counteraction to Reactionary Thought and Culture,” enacted in December 2020, these fashion styles could be deemed illegal.
These restrictions appear to inhibit people from adopting styles similar to those of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his inner circle. Individuals who are found with hairstyles resembling Kim Jong Un’s, wearing wide pants of similar style, or donning his iconic leather jackets may also face penalties.
North Korean residents criticize these prohibitions, suggesting that they do not seem to apply to Kim Jong Un and his core associates. This has raised concerns about double standards.
For instance, Kim Jong Un’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae, recently appeared in a shirt with semi-transparent sleeves. Also, Hwang Sung Yul, a deputy minister of the Workers’ Party who frequently appears alongside Kim Jong Un, sports the “rooster hairstyle,” where long hair is tied on the top of the head, with bangs covering the forehead and one eye.
A resident from Hamgyongbuk Province remarked, “People are protesting, saying ‘You can’t tie your hair in a bun, can’t cover your forehead and eye with bangs. Are people machines?'”
Another resident from the province added, “Even the leader’s daughter wears transparent clothes. People question why wearing them is deemed anti-socialist.”
North Korea’s enforcement of strict regulations on hairstyles and clothing choices continues to be a topic of discussion among residents, raising concerns about individual freedoms and the perceived discrepancies in their application.