For four years, Kim Jong Un has filled the role of Supreme Leader of North Korea, just like his father and grandfather before him. Ruling from behind a shroud of poorly concealed mystery, the easily agitated international leader walks the line between fearsome madman and portly joke. Kim Jong Un controls North Korea with a nearly iron grip, and though the North Korean government would have you believe that everything inside the country is just hunky dory, the little bits of information that’s leaked to the outside world paints a picture of rampant poverty in which Kim Jong Un and his ruling class take most of the country’s natural resources and leave the working class to slowly waste away.
1. Kim Jong Un Has Gained 90 Pounds Since Taking Office
One spy agency has indicated that the ruler’s constant eating is a result of his paranoia that he’ll one day be assassinated.
2. In North Korea, Only Military and Government Officials are Allowed to Own Motor Vehicles
3. There is No Internet and There’s One TV Channel
Pretty much all information coming into the country is controlled by the government.
4. At the Age of 31, Kim Jong Un is the Youngest Ruler of State in the World; Also, He’s Got Zero Military Experience
5. More Than 6 Million People in North Korea are in Need of Food, and One-Third of the Children are Considered Chronically Malnourished or Stunted
In fact, most of the adults who were born after the Korean War are about 2 inches shorter on average than those kids born in South Korea after the war.
6. Though Western Movies and Television are Largely Forbidden Throughout the Country, Kim Jong Un Shares His Father’s Love of Western Culture
7. One-Third of North Korea’s Income is Spent on the Military
8. His Grasp on Power is Apparently So Tenuous That Kim Jong Un Has Reportedly Undergone Plastic Surgery to Look Like His Grandfather, Kim Il-Sung
9. Electricity is Meted Out For Only a Few Hours a Day, and It’s Largely Turned Off at Night
The black spot is North Korea. The little shining star in the black hole is the country’s capital, Pyongyang.
10. Children are Forced to Provide Their Own Desks and Chairs For School, and Some Schools Double as Sweat Shops
11. Kim Jong Un Was Not Expected to Lead the Country
Then, his older brother, Kim Jong-Nam, was arrested while trying to visit Disneyland using a fake passport. That pretty much got him nixed for the lead spot. Then, the middle brother, Kim Jong Chul, was ruled out because he was considered “too effeminate” by his pop. Un’s older sister, Kim Sul-song, works in the propaganda department.
12. Religious Freedom is Not a Thing
People worship the Supreme Leader.
13. The Country’s Mineral Reserves are Supposedly Worth About Six Trillion, Though Foreign Investments in the Country are Slow to Grow … For Some Reason
In 2010, there was about $1.4 billion foreign investments.
14. North Korea Has Twice the Number of Active Service Troops as South Korea (About 1.2 Million)
15. Kim Jong Un is an Unabashed Lover of Basketball. Having Been Outed as a Michael Jordan Fan, the Supreme Leader Also Notably Spent With Ex-Basketball Great Dennis Rodman
16. The Government Pays a Network of Spies to Report on Anti-Authority Behavior
17. On Average, People in North Korea Make About $1,800 USD Per Year, Which Puts The Country Solidly in Last Place
18. Weed is Legal in North Korea
So at least they got that going for ‘em.
19. In North Korea, It’s the Year 104, Not 2016
Their calendar is based on the birth of Kim Il-Sung in 1912.
20. Like His Brothers, Kim Jong Un Was Educated in Switzerland Under an Assumed Name
According to classmates, the future Supreme Leader had a dope collection of sneakers.
21. Personal Property is Not a Thing
Everything belongs to the state.
22. It’s Technically Called the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
They even have elections every five years. The ballots only have one option.
23. Men and Women Must Adhere to One of 28 Accepted Haircuts
Men have to keep it under 2 inches long. Unmarried women have to keep it short. Married people are allowed a little more leeway.
24. Press in Asia Have Reported that Famine in the Farmlands Have Gotten So Bad That Some Have Resorted to Cannibalism
25. North Korea Holds ‘Mass Games,’ in the World’s Largest Stadium
The highly regimented gymnastics performances take place in a stadium which holds more than 150,000 seats.
26. Kim Jong Un Has Cultivated His Own Personal K-Pop Group Called the Moranbong Band
27. Those People Convicted of a Crime in North Korea Are Subject to a ‘Three Generations’ Rule
If one member of the family is convicted, then that person’s family for three generations are hauled off to work camps.
28. The Country is Home to Almost Zero Working Stop Lights
29. Judges and a Court System are Not a Thing
31. Kim Jong-Il Once Kidnapped Korean Director Shin Sang-ok in Order to Force Him to Make Films
32. There Are Three Theme Parks in North Korea
According to theThemeParkGuy.com, there’s one entrance and exit, visitors are overcharged (like a normal theme park) and they’re only allowed to walk on pre-ordained paths. Cameras are everywhere, and the crew is forced to sleep on site. Also, they’re only open during the day.
