Kim Jong-un enforces this strange ban on North Korean citizens, and the reason will surprise you

In North Korea, it is forbidden to drive a car, to fold a newspaper with a picture of the president on it, or to wear jeans. Since November 2021, it is also forbidden to wear a leather jacket. This is the wish of Kim Jong-un, who is determined to call on the 'fashion police' to enforce it.

Kim Jong-un, an unpredictable supreme leader

The black leather trench coat was worn for the first time in North Korea by Kim Jong-un himself. Since 2019, therefore, the garment has become very popular and the North Korean elite began to dress as their supreme leader, in order to prove their allegiance to him and validate his undeniable taste in clothing. While at the beginning, the leader must have felt the same pride as influencers when they create a new trend, his un-sharing character quickly became apparent.

At first, only elites were able to get Kim Jong-un's look in real leather. But the population also wanted to wear the supreme leader's sacred coat. Fake leather trench coats appeared on the shelves of stores. A trend that had to end. Today, North Korean police say that wearing clothes designed to resemble Kim Jong-un's is an 'impure trend to challenge the authority of the Highest Dignity', a source told Radio Free Asia.

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Leather jackets policed

If Kim Jong-un does not seem ready to let go of his look, it is also because he has been able to distinguish himself from his predecessors thanks to it. Indeed, his father and grandfather (the founder of North Korea) both wore Mao style jackets and horn-rimmed glasses. Thanks to his leather trench coat, the Korean leader has forged his own personality. It was during his meeting with former US President Donald Trump that he wore his 100% leather look.

It is now formally forbidden for the inhabitants of North Korea to wear this leather coat. It is not the first time that North Koreans are dictated their dress or their haircut, which must be 'in accordance with the socialist lifestyle'.

So while this umpteenth ban may seem amusing to those living outside the country, it is necessary to remember that the population lives in fear and that a breach of the rules is costly. A man was sentenced to a firing squad for illegally possessing a USB stick containing episodes of the South Korean Netflix series, Squid Game.

This article has been translated from Ohmymag FR.

Sources used:

Radio Free Asia: 'North Korea bans leather coats to stop citizens from copping leader’s iconic look'

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