10. Keep religion out
Buddhist temples in North Korea mainly serve as historic and cultural artefacts. Expressions of Christianity are few and far between. Religion isn’t forbidden per se, but Christianity is often considered a challenge of North Korea’s national ideology. Some religious villages do exist, but they’re under constant scrutiny by the government and are very hard to find.
11. No readily available newspapers
Any news media in North Korea are strictly controlled by the government. Newspapers of years gone by are hard to find in libraries. This is in case the ruling communist party changes its ideas – getting rid of old news will make it harder to find any reports on previous situations. Of course, foreign newspapers aren’t available at all.
12. A license plate for your bicycle
Cars are an uncommon sight in North Korea. They’re a luxury only the richest elite can afford. Similarly, bikes are also very expensive, and you’ll have great difficulty in finding any outside of Pyongyang. On top of that, each bike has to be registered and fitted with a license plate. This allows the government to even maintain control over its population’s bicycles.
We collected some more interesting facts about North Korea for you. You will find them on the next page.