"Capitalism Crackdown"? No Shorts Allowed for Women in North Korea!

In North Korea, wearing shorts that are above the knee has become a perilous fashion choice for women as it may be deemed a violation of “socialist etiquette” and categorized as a form of “capitalist fashion.” This restriction, part of the country's broad crackdown on what it views as “anti-socialist behavior,” is selectively applied against women, while men face no such limitations. Enforced under the draconian Rejection of Reactionary Thought and Culture Act passed in 2020, the punishments for these supposed violations range from imprisonment to execution. The law has also been used to suppress various cultural practices, from window tinting to the use of South Korean slang. A resident of North Pyongan, speaking anonymously, detailed the strict measures, saying, “Yesterday, a police patrol arrested ten women in the marketplace for wearing shorts. They had to write a statement of self-criticism and sign a document saying they would face legal consequences if they were caught wearing shorts again.” This new restriction on women's clothing has sparked complaints among citizens, with many arguing that it is discriminatory and impractical given the nation's current heat wave.