1. Western fashion
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has banned all types of jeans and Western fashion in two regions bordering China. Pyongyang is trying to counter the influence of Western culture across the border.
2. Coca-Cola
Drinks in North Korea
A ban on the import of Coca-Cola into North Korea has made it difficult for visitors to find the famous drink. However, some shops in Pyongyang still sell Coke made in China.
3. Hairstyle
Kim Jong Un only allows 18 haircuts for women and 15 for men. And no one is allowed to dye their hair, so finding hair dye in this country is impossible.
4. Sanitary napkins
Disposable sanitary napkins or tampons are not available in North Korea. Women here usually use reusable sanitary napkins.
5. Condoms
All forms of contraception are banned in North Korea, so finding condoms in North Korea is extremely difficult. Many North Korean adults are happy to receive condoms as gifts.
6. Real estate
The North Korean government owns all the land and real estate in the country, so it is basically impossible to buy or sell houses or apartments here. However, North Koreans have found ways to do this, leading to a law on real estate trading coming into effect this year.
7. Designer shoes
If you’re in North Korea and thinking about buying a pair of Manolo Blancniks, you’re out of luck. Designer shoes are not available in the country except in the border areas with China, where Chinese-made high heels are widely available.
8. Christmas tree
North Korea is officially an atheist country. So you can't buy any Christmas decorations, like Christmas trees.
9. Starbucks
If you want to drink coffee in Pyongyang, you can go to a famous coffee shop called Ryongwang Coffee Shop.
10. Cable TV
There are only four official television channels in North Korea. Government censorship is very strict and so television channels are few and far between.
11. Western Magazine
The North Korean government propaganda machine strictly bans all forms of Western media. The government and special agencies control and regulate what is printed in newspapers. There are no lifestyle magazines in the country. The only things people can read are educational or political content.
12. Wi-fi and international calls
Of the 15 million people in North Korea, about 1 million own mobile phones. However, they cannot make international calls. The 3G network is also banned. Foreign visitors need to buy prepaid SIM cards to make international calls.
13. Concert tickets
Very few international artists are allowed to perform in North Korea, so going to a concert to see your favorite artist is unlikely. Previously, the only band allowed to perform was a Slovenian band called Laibach, who played a concert in 2015. Locals are usually limited to local artists or bands.
14. Apple
There is a ban on the sale of high-tech devices in North Korea. Buying an iPad in the country is unthinkable. However, North Korea has developed its own tablet computer that can replace Western technology.
15. Sports cars
Another luxury item that is completely absent in North Korea is sports cars. Buying an expensive sports car in this country is almost impossible. This is due to sanctions from the United Nations and the European Union.
16. Travel abroad
International flights are rare in North Korea, mainly to China or Russia.
North Koreans are not allowed to travel abroad. This is clearly a violation of human rights, but North Koreans are not aware of the situation. The North Korean leadership is trying to protect their country from foreign invaders. They prohibit many things while the world we live in is changing every day.
To visit relatives in another town or village, people must get permission. However, some North Koreans still travel abroad to China or Russia to earn money.
17. Obey the rules in public places
Certain actions, such as whistling or shouting in public, are strictly prohibited. In particular, if you "meddle" with things in North Korea, you can be severely punished.
18. Do not use North Korean currency
As a foreign tourist, you can only use a few foreign currencies in North Korea such as dollars, euros and yuan. According to regulations, you can bring 20,000 yuan or 5,000 USD when entering this country. In addition, you can exchange foreign currencies at hotels. However, the exchange rate here is not good. Tourists should exchange money before traveling. According to some travel agencies, the best foreign currency to use is euros.
19. Follow the tour guide's instructions
Failure to follow the instructions or directions of the tour guide will cause you and your group to get into trouble, or even face penalties in North Korea. To minimize unnecessary incidents, visitors need to be careful and follow the instructions and regulations set by the tour guide.
20. Should call the full name of the country
If you go to North Korea, please mention the country's full name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, to avoid unnecessary trouble.
21. Do not make negative comments about the country, people or leaders of North Korea.
When visiting the world’s most secretive country, visitors should not criticize or make negative comments about the North Korean government. Your comments may be reported to the authorities and lead to unnecessary trouble.
22. Do not take photos in military areas or monuments.
Tourists can take photos in North Korea when traveling. However, for national security reasons, the government here controls the photos tourists take. Places such as military zones are completely prohibited. Photos that only capture part of the leader's statue are also not accepted. If you want to take photos in the monument area, visitors should be careful to take the whole statue. In addition to wearing polite clothes, visitors should not show disrespect to the statues of leaders or imitate the postures of North Korean leaders when taking photos.
Tour guides and police will check your cameras and delete anything “illegible” when you go through immigration procedures to leave North Korea.
