North Korean citizens are banned from laughing, drinking and shopping starting from Friday.
The ban is part of 11-day mourning to remember the 10th anniversary of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the father of Kim Jong Un.
The Telegraph quoted Radio Free Asia as saying that, according to a North Korean from the northeastern border city of Sinuiju, North Koreans are not allowed to drink alcohol, laugh or engage in leisure activities during the mourning period.
Speaking on a condition of anonymity, the source added that if anyone’s family passed away during the mourning period, they are forbidden to cry out loud and the body must be taken out once the mourning period has ended.
People cannot even celebrate their own birthdays if they fall within the mourning period.