Yes, cigarettes are widely available and smoked in North Korea, despite government anti-smoking campaigns, with both domestic brands (like the prestigious 7.27 brand) and foreign imports available, especially for the elite, often used as currency or status symbols, though male smoking prevalence is high, and regulations exist for certain public places.
Tobacco smoking is popular in North Korea and culturally acceptable among men, but not for women. As of 2019, some 43.6% of men are reported to smoke daily, whilst in contrast only 4.5% of women smoke daily, with most of these being older women from rural areas.
North Korean cigarettes cost as little as 2,500–3,500 won ($0.36–0.50) per pack, far cheaper than Chinese brands. According to RFA, factories such as Korea Sonbong General Corporation and Paeksan Cigarette Company supply the bulk of production near the border.
In North Korea, e-cigarettes are banned by law. As a result, the sale and importation of vaping products are prohibited.
While some countries may have threatened to ban the sale of Coca-Cola, and in certain countries this has actually been enforced for certain periods of time, today there are just two countries in the world where the soda cannot be bought or sold – Cuba and North Korea.
You can't smile in North Korea on July 8 because it's part of the annual mourning period for the death of founder Kim Il Sung in 1994, a solemn occasion where showing joy like laughing, drinking, or engaging in amusement is forbidden as a sign of respect, with strict enforcement against any display of happiness.
Beer is available to tourists without limitation. Mass-produced beer can be found everywhere in the country, and microbreweries are also common. North Koreans need to expend food coupons when buying beer, which will diminish their grain rations.
The "forbidden 5th floor" refers to a restricted, unlisted floor in Pyongyang's Yanggakdo International Hotel, missing from elevator panels, rumored to house North Korean surveillance operations (CCTV monitoring, phone taps, communications equipment) for hotel guests, featuring propaganda posters, and often accessed by curious tourists via stairwells before tour operators added warnings after the Otto Warmbier incident, making it a symbol of North Korea's secretive control over foreigners.
Bars are usually at hotels. In Pyongyang, some Western-style bars have opened in recent years. Many restaurants take on a bar-like atmosphere late at night. There are a few nightclubs and casinos.
You can take pictures, selfies and videos with your phone in North Korea. There are regulations that abide to photography with phones the same as an ordinary camera. Most North Koreans have cell phones now, with cameras that they like to take pictures with!
Introduction. While McDonald's is a global icon, the fast-food giant does not have a presence in many countries worldwide. There are 123 countries where McDonald's has not set up a restaurant yet, including Afghanistan, Bhutan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, and North Korea, among many others.
While it may sound like a violation of human rights by many across the globe, citizens of that country apparently have no problem heeding such laws. Getting a condom is next to impossible because the country has banned all sorts of birth control measures.
North Korean foreign propaganda videos, such as the Echo of Truth YouTube series, have shown pizzerias. In 2018, a pizza cost about US$5 to US$10 ($6 to $13 in 2024), which most North Koreans cannot afford. Pizza is eaten by Pyongyang elites, diplomats, and foreigners.
South Korea's 52-hour work rule caps most employees' weekly working hours at 52, consisting of 40 standard hours plus 12 allowed overtime hours, aiming to reduce overwork, improve work-life balance, and boost productivity by ending excessively long workweeks previously common in the country. Implemented in phases for different company sizes, this law applies to a seven-day week, including weekends, and was a major revision to the Labor Standards Act, phasing in from 2018 to 2021 for most businesses.
In North Korea, three major restrictions include consuming foreign media/accessing the global internet, criticizing the leadership or government, and leaving the country without permission, with other prohibitions covering specific hairstyles, photography of non-tourist sites, and altering government-issued electronics.
Room 39 (officially Central Committee Bureau 39 of the Workers' Party of Korea, also referred to as Bureau 39, Division 39, or Office 39) is a secretive North Korean party organization that seeks ways to maintain the foreign currency slush fund for the country's leaders.
As of 2026, there is no North Korean law that recognizes same-sex marriage, civil unions or domestic partnerships. Additionally, Article 8 of the Family Law of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea states that "Marriage may be done only between one man and one woman".
The old couple then waltz together and go dining in their favourite restaurant. And while these expressions of North Korean love may seem conservative to a western viewer, they reflect real social norms in a country where even kissing in public is a violation of decency.
Contrary to (understandable) belief, the infamous brand isn't everywhere. You can probably guess which country drinks the most Coca-Cola. But there are two countries where, officially speaking, it's impossible to buy: North Korea and Cuba.
You can't smile in North Korea on July 8 because it's part of the annual mourning period for the death of founder Kim Il Sung in 1994, a solemn occasion where showing joy like laughing, drinking, or engaging in amusement is forbidden as a sign of respect, with strict enforcement against any display of happiness.
Internet access is not generally available in North Korea. Only some high-level officials and foreigners are allowed to access the global internet. In most universities, a small number of strictly monitored computers are provided. Other citizens may get access only to the country's national intranet, called Kwangmyong.
Nowadays there are many more bars, coffee shops, and even pizza joints popping up in Pyongyang. But the one true staple of North Korean nightlife preceded even Young Pioneer Tours, and that is the Taedong Diplomatic Club, AKA “The Diplo”.
Jeans are indeed banned in North Korea as they are considered a symbol of Western influence, particularly American culture. This prohibition, in place since the 1990s, was instituted by then-leader Kim Jong-il who declared denim trousers a symbol of Western imperialism.