Citizens of North Korea have been ordered to abstain from drinking alcohol, intoxication, and laughing for the next 11 days.
The new directive was pushed by the North Korean government early this week. Flouters of the law would be disciplined accordingly, say authorities.
Why North Korea banned citizens from laughing for 11 days
This new directive is to ensure that citizens observe and commemorate the tenth anniversary of their former leader Kim Jong Il.
Kim Jong Il, the father of North Korea’s current leader Kim Jong-un, passed away on December 17, 2011, in Pyongyang, North Korea, aged 70.
His remembrance ceremony starts tomorrow, and to commemorate this, laughter and drinking of alcohol will not be tolerated as part of its tradition.
The public is barred from demonstrating any signs of joy while they mourn their former leader.
Furthermore, North Koreans cannot go grocery shopping on December 17, which marks the anniversary of Kim Jong Il’s death.
Punishment for flouters of new order in North Korea
Even though there are no explicit punishments for flouters of this new order, sources say police officers have been instructed to ensure no one flouts the orders.
The police service have also been charged to ensure safety during this period.
