5 chilling North Korean laws every citizen must follow

Life under Kim Jong Un’s dictatorship comes with a host of strict rules that North Korean citizens are expected to abide by.

From restrictions on what people can wear and watch, to severe limits on access to the outside world, everyday life in North Korea is heavily controlled by the state.

Under the rule of Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, authorities maintain a tight grip on citizens, with rules governing everything from the media they consume to the information they can access.

The country is widely regarded as one of the most repressive in the world, with those who break certain rules potentially facing severe punishment.

Watching South Korean television could carry a death sentence in North Korea

North and South Korea have been divided for more than 70 years, with tensions between the neighbouring countries persisting since the Korean War ended in an armistice in 1953, rather than a formal peace treaty.

North Korea's 2020 Anti-Reactionary Thought and Culture Act criminalises the consumption and distribution of foreign media, including South Korean dramas, films and music.

Kim Jong Un has served as the supreme leader of North Korea since 2011. (Linh Pham/Getty Images)

And those caught watching the banned content could face punishments ranging from forced labour to execution.

Hairstyles and clothes

North Korean authorities have reportedly cracked down on clothing and hairstyles that are considered to be influenced by foreign culture in recent years.

Citizens can forget about skinny jeans and dyed hair, as people caught violating these restrictions could face public criticism, forced labour or other punishments.

Travelling around the country

Citizens of North Korea cannot travel around their land freely, in fact, the state restricts freedom of movement, including travel between regions.

Citizens must follow very strict rules. (ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images)

People generally need official authorisation to travel outside their registered area, and checkpoints can require them to show permits.

Using South Korean slang

Even the words North Koreans use can land them in trouble, with the regime cracking down on anything seen as an influence from South Korea.

From slang and everyday expressions to the way people speak, authorities are determined to keep foreign cultural influences at bay.

And in the most serious cases, certain offences linked to banned cultural content can even carry the death penalty.

Divorce and certain Western-influenced foods

In 2025, reports emerged that North Korea was clamping down on hot dogs and budae-jjigae, a sausage-based stew closely associated with South Korean cuisine.

Authorities have also reportedly taken a harsher stance on divorce, with those who choose to end their marriages facing increasingly severe consequences.