North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly banned hotdogs, deeming the dish too Western, and introduced harsh penalties for divorcing couples as part of a new cultural crackdown.
Selling or cooking hotdogs in North Korea is now considered treason, with violators risking imprisonment in labor camps.
The sales of budae-jjigae, a Korean-American fusion dish featuring sausage, have reportedly ceased, according to reports in Western media.
The dish, popular in pro-Western South Korea, was banned after being introduced in North Korea in 2017. Authorities have warned that anyone caught selling the dish will face severe consequences.
This prohibition reflects Kim’s broader efforts to suppress what the regime views as the infiltration of capitalist culture.
Crackdown on Divorce
In another draconian measure, Kim has ordered divorcing couples to serve up to six months in labor camps, calling the dissolution of marriage an “anti-socialist” act.
According to Radio Free Asia (RFA), the punishment applies to both spouses, a departure from previous rules that penalized only the spouse who initiated the divorce – even in cases of abuse.
A Ryanggang resident said they witnessed 12 people receiving divorce decrees at a local court, after which they were immediately sent to labor camps.
Divorce rates in North Korea reportedly surged during the COVID-19 pandemic as financial hardships strained marriages. Despite the new threat of public humiliation and expulsion from the Korean Workers’ Party, divorce rates remain high.
