Its A Dogs Life

As if life isn't tough enough in possibly the poorest nation of Earth, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea to you and me) ... 

North Korea Disappears At Night - Outshone By Fishing Fleets

..... which, compared to its Southern neighbour, has virtually a stone age economy. South Korea 2021 - GDP $47,027 (IMF): North Korea 2021 - GDP under $2,000 (Estimated) ... they were actually nearly level in the 1960s.

But that doesn't stop the Kim Jon-un from introducing even more harsh measures. He has recently announced that times are going to get tougher in his benighted kingdom, publicly admitting that the state-run economy cannot feed its citizens, and that the population faces another “Arduous March,” and that its citizens face "the worst-ever situation, which we have to overcome". There are now reports by the UN that North Korea could run out of food in just two months and in all probability people are facing hunger or even starvation. The country needs a good harvest this year to avoid a famine.

The term “Arduous March,” was the euphemistic name also given by the regime, to the 1990's food crisis, which resulted in a famine, with millions starving to death. Now more millions of its people are thought to be on the verge of it again, with harsh Covid lockdowns exacerbating the problems (Russia has repeatedly offered free Covid-19 vaccines, but been refused). So yet more famines in a country, where getting enough to eat is never a certainty in the few 'good times' (and they have been few and far between in North Korea).

But faced with letting millions die again, Kim has just opted for more repression .... a renewed crackdown on the importation of foreign cultural influences such as hair styles (mullets), clothes (skinny jeans), DVD movies, books and K-pop has been launched, with very harsh punishments (executions or years in the recently expanded labour camps - which are virtually slow death camps anyway), promised. Kim has described the illegal South Korean imports as a “vicious cancer” and "dangerous poisons" plaguing North Korea’s youth, which are badly influencing their “attire, hairstyles, speeches and behaviours.” 

The new legislation would see any offenders, including high school students, sentenced to serve anywhere between five and 15 years of very hard labour if they are caught ... reports in South Korea are that already three North Korean teenagers have been sent to a re-education camp for cutting their hair like K-pop idols and hemming their trousers above their ankles. Disciplinary officers to roam the streets and 'correct' any men with long hair, and any women with revealing or tight clothing.

Time To Fly If Your A Dog In The North Korean Capital

But in August 2020, in a little reported move, Kim also ordered that all pet dogs in the capital Pyongyang be confiscated, claiming that they represented "western decadence" and a "tainted trend of bourgeois ideology." It was believed that all the dogs were killed, but some were apparently sent to state zoo's (which is odd in itself) ... however its also conjectured that most were handed over to state restaurants in the capital as their meat rations (of course South Korea also eats dog meat).

It's a tough life in North Korea for people, but its a dog life for the animals.