North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has upped the ante in his war on Christmas with a new rule that prohibits any “gatherings that involve alcohol and singing.”
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service reported the details of the latest ban, which is designed to control the spread of information coming from outside of official channels and contain potential dissent that may arise from recent tightening of sanctions against the secluded Asian country.
Experts estimate those prohibition will severely impact the North Korean economy in the coming months, and by March the nation’s people will find themselves in dire circumstances.
While Christmas is not typically a major holiday in North Korea, some of its citizens have been known to practice Christianity and observe the holy day in the past.
Kim Jong Un officially banned that practice last year, instead directing all citizens who would have celebrated the holiday to instead commemorate the December 24,1919 — the birthdate of the leader’s grandmother instead.
Kim has made attempts to stop Christmas from spilling over the nation’s border in the past as well.
For years, South Korea erected a 30-foot tall tree of lights on a hill near the infamous demilitarized zone that could be seen from North Korea.
Several years ago, North Korea reportedly said that lighting the tree would result in “unexpected consequences.”
AOL.com
