Not so fast - Kim Jong-Un probably isn't forcing his haircut on North Korea's student population.
Legislation stating that male undergraduates in North Korea adopt the newest Dear Leader's haircut reportedly started rolling out around two weeks ago, with news of the development reaching Western media in the past week. North Korean residents were said to be unimpressed with the development, with one resident speaking to Radio Free Asia. "Our leader's haircut is very particular, if you will," they said. "It doesn't always go with everyone since everyone has different face and head shapes."
Conflicting versions of events from varied sources have continued to crop up, with initial reports saying all men were subject to the unusual hair style, and later revised as just male undergraduates. Now, however, the Associated Press has received further information from witnesses and residents of North Korea who have observed no change in the follicular status of the country's male students.
One witness, Simon Cockerell, noticed no signs of the supposed mass restyle. "I was there just a few days ago, and no sign of that," he said. It's definitely not true." Cockerell is a tour guide for Koryo Tours, a travel company frequently takes foreign visitors to North Korea.
Though the despotic leader isn't known for rational policy writing or sound law enforcement, the latest news appears to be a rumor. However, it's understandable why so many were quick to believe the news, as it's not unprecedented for hairstyles to be regulated by the North Korean government. In 2005, it was ruled that men couldn't have hair longer than two inches, though some wiggle room was granted to older men to make way to comb-over styles. It's also thought that all citizens must choose a hairstyle from an approved list, with 18 options for women and 10 for men. The female hairstyles ostensibly help differentiate between single and married women, with single women having to opt for more streamlined styles. Married women are allowed more intricate styles, with length typically kept long.
Men, on the other hand, have a shorter list of prospective styles to choose from. Younger men need to have haircuts every 15 days, with the strands not exceeding more than 5cm.
