BELOW THE KNEE

North Korea Is Enforcing a Ban on Shorts, but Only for Women

It’s part of a broader North Korean law that outlaws “anti-socialist behavior,” with shorts apparently representing foreign or capitalist culture.

North Korea’s ban on so-called Western fashion has extended to shorts—even in the hot summer months. But according to the country’s residents, it’s only being enforced against the country’s women. “As more and more women wear shorts in the cities, including here in Sinuiju, the authorities are writing them up for violations of dress etiquette,” an anonymous resident told Radio Free Asia. “Yesterday, a police patrol arrested 10 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.” The ban is part of a broader North Korean law passed in 2020 that outlaws “anti-socialist behavior,” with shorts apparently representing foreign or capitalist culture. It’s not the first time the law has been applied more harshly to women, however. RFA reported last month that a ban on public smoking was also only enforced on women caught with cigarettes.