North Korean leader bans citizens from laughing for 11 days
Kim Jong-Un, the leader of North Korea, has imposed an 11-day ban on laughing, drinking, and shopping for its citizens, setting the period aside for mourning his late father, Kim Jong-Il.
The 11-day mourning period, which started on December 17, was set aside to mark the death anniversary of Mr Jong-il, who formerly led North Korea for 46 years.
“During the mourning period, we must not drink alcohol, laugh or engage in leisure activities,” a resident living in Sinuiju told Radio Free Asia’s Korean Service.
Though it is usually a 10-day mourning period, this year, the extra day came as 2021 marked the 10th anniversary of Mr Jong-Il’s death.
On Friday, Mr Jong-un marked the anniversary with a memorial service attended by thousands. North Koreans then fell silent and bowed in respect for Mr Jong Il as a siren blared for three minutes.
Cars, trains and ships blew their horns, the Hermit Kingdom’s flags were lowered to half-staff, and people flocked to Pyongyang’s Mansu Hill to lay flowers and bow before giant statues of Kim Jong Il and his father, Kim Il Sung, who ruled for 46 years.
The embalmed body of Mr Jong-il was revealed to the public in the Kumsusan mausoleum. Mr Jong-Il was presented lying beneath a red blanket, a spotlight shining on his face in a room suffused in red.
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