North Koreans could face up to six months of labor sentences for sporting ‘rooster’ hairstyles or see-through sleeves under new fashion ban regulations.
The latest restrictions were unveiled in video lecture where individuals caught with prohibited hairstyles were forced to shave their heads, a resident of the North Hamgyong province told Radio Free Asia.
North Korea has a long list of prohibited fashion items including sleeveless shirts, jeans, hair dye, non-creased pants, T-shirts with foreign lettering, shoulder bags, shorts and tight-fitting tops.
Citizens are also banned from having hair the falls below the waistline, imitating the hairstyle of ruler Kim Jong Un and sporting the ‘rooster’ style, a term used to describe a high-ponytail with a side-swept fringe that covers the forehead and one eye.
The banned fashion list, which seemingly prohibits clothing styles typically worn in rival South Korea, reportedly restricts items that ‘obscure the image of a socialist system’, sources have claimed.
North Korea has a long list of prohibited fashion items including sleeveless shirts, jeans, hair dye, non-creased pants, T-shirts with foreign lettering, shoulder bags, shorts and tight-fitting tops
Residents are banned from imitating the hairstyle of ruler Kim Jong Un, pictured above in 2017
Residents are reportedly frustrated by the fashion bans, which they allege do not seem to apply to those close to Kim Jong Un.
His daughter Kim Ju Ae recently made a public appearance in a blouse with semi-transparent sleeves, Free Radio Asia reported.
Similarly, Hyon Song Wol, the deputy department director of the ruling Korean Workers’ Party, has also worn the ‘rooster’ hairstyle.
Citizens, seemingly angered by the double standard, are understood to be protesting the restrictions.
‘Residents protested, saying, ‘You can’t wear hair in a bun, you can’t cover your forehead and eyes with your bangs. Are people machines?’ one local said.
Another recalled: ‘Even the leader’s daughter appeared wearing see-through clothes. People protested and asked why wearing them would be anti-socialist.’
The North Korean government regulates even the most trivial aspects of daily life – an integral part of its strategy to maintain societal homogeneity and quash any signs of dissent.
Trousers that imitate Kim Jong Un’s wide pants, seen in a photo released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on August 26, 2024, are also banned
Residents are frustrated by the fashion bans, which they allege do not seem to apply to those close to Kim Jong Un. His daughter Kim Ju Ae (left, with Kim Jong Un in May 2024) has reportedly made at least one public appearance in a blouse with semi-transparent sleeves
Similarly, Hyon Song Wol, (pictured in April 2018) the deputy department director of the ruling Korean Workers’ Party, has also sported the ‘rooster’ hairstyle
Haircuts, arguably the most visible symbol of one’s personal identity, are subject to strict state approval in North Korea. Citizens must select their hairstyles from a list of roughly 15 government-approved options.
Men are expected to keep their hair short, while women have a slightly broader range of choices – though all must conform to conservative styles devoid of any hint of rebellion.
Those found sporting unauthorised hairstyles risk punishment, including fines, forced labour, or even imprisonment.
The limited trims on offer in North Korean salons were revealed by Finnish journalist Mika Mäkeläinen, who in 2017 captured images of posters displaying the regulated hairstyles during a tightly controlled press visit to Pyongyang to cover the Day of the Sun – a celebration of 105 years since the nation’s founder Kim Il-sung was born.
‘Equality in North Korea: Both sexes have 15 approved haircut models. You can forget about dyeing your hair though,’ he quipped at the time.
Dress codes in North Korea further exemplify the state’s obsession with uniformity and are used as a social engineering tool.
Traditional attire, known as ‘Choson-ot,’ is often mandated for official events and public gatherings, promoting a sense of national identity and pride in Korean heritage.
Citizens must select their hairstyles from a list of roughly 15 government-approved options
But even beyond ceremonial occasions, citizens are expected to adhere to a drab dress code that reflects modesty and austerity.
Western fashion trends are largely forbidden as they are perceived as symbols of capitalist decadence and cultural infiltration.
Last year, after an addition to North Korea’s Rejection of Reactionary Thought and Culture Act, officials declared that any woman who wears clothing that does not reach below the knee line flouts the principles of ‘socialist etiquette’.
Women caught flouting regulations are also liable to be slapped with all manner of disproportionate punishments.
