North Korea bans fun, alcohol and birthdays for a week – with SPIES sent out to hunt down anyone acting cheerful during a week-long mourning for Kim Jong Il

North Korea is in the midst of a seven-day forced mourning to mark the 11th anniversary of the death of former leader Kim Jong Il, and no singing, drinking or partying will reportedly be allowed.

The government instructed its citizens to solemnly reflect on the life of the late “dear leader”, the father of the current leader Kim Jong Un who died on 17 December 2011. The mourning period began on Wednesday and will end on December 20.

“You should never drink alcohol or engage in entertainment such as singing or drinking during the commemoration period,” a resident of northern Ryanggang province told Radio Free Asia’s Korea Service on Wednesday on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

In addition, people are expected to tone down or avoid important life events such as coming of age ceremonies, weddings, funerals and even Jesa, the ceremony commemorating the dead.

Pictured: The then Chinese President Jiang Zemin (right) meets with the then North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Beijing

“The atmosphere of fear that controls and oppresses residents will be strong during the commemoration period,” the source said. “If you don’t take care of yourself and take care of yourself these days, you can get into serious trouble.”

Authorities also urged people not to make political statements or criticize the government during this time, and threatened that secret agents would be on the lookout.

Movement between different parts of the country will also be more restricted than usual and bribing officials for passports will be almost impossible during the mourning period, the source said.

Residents in northeastern North Hamgyong province have been told to ‘be careful what’ [they] say and do” during the period of mourning, a resident there told RFA on condition of anonymity.

Pictured: People visit Mansu Hill to pay their respects to the statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il to mark the 11th anniversary of Kim Jong Il’s death

National flags fly at half-mast on the 11th anniversary of the death of Chairman Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, Saturday, December 17, 2022

The second source said that in addition to guidelines to behave respectfully and not criticize or complain to the authorities, the national government has instructed neighborhood watch groups to enforce stricter surveillance on people.

“Television shows documentaries every day about Kim Jong Il’s achievements and his love for the people,” said the second source. “A variety of commemorative events such as museum visits, intensive lectures and memorial lectures are held on an ongoing basis, but always end with a theme of undying loyalty to Kim Jong Un.”

December is also the birth month of Kim Jong Il’s mother, Kim Jong Sook, and there are also memorial events for her, so people find it tiring to focus on the Kim dynasty at this time of year, the second source said.

Pictured: Kim Jong Un gives a lecture at North Korea’s Central Cadres Training School on October 17, 2022

Pictured: People offer flowers at the statues of former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il on Mansu Hill in Pyongyang on December 17, 2022. It was to commemorate the 11th anniversary of Kim Jong Il’s death

Some events during Kim Jong Il’s mourning period take place outside in the cold.

In the province of South Pyongan, north of the capital Pyongyang, residents had to attend memorial services all day from 09:00 on Thursday. Temperatures ranged from minus 12C to minus 2C, a source there told RFA.

According to the South Pyongan source, the authorities required all women present to wear traditional Korean clothing. There are both winter and summer versions of the traditional attire, but most women only have one set that they only wear to formal events, most of which are indoors. It offers little protection from the cold.

“The authorities ignore the shivering women, even if they show symptoms of frostbite such as hypothermia and itchy skin, so people here will burst with displeasure,” the South Pyongan source said.

In Musan province in North Hamgyong, authorities gathered miners outside a government building on Friday for a two-hour memorial service in minus 20C temperatures, a source there told RFA.

They added: “The grumbling workers said things like”[Kim Jong Il] long after his death people starve and suffer from the cold weather.’