Kim Jong Un cracks down on sale of hot dogs in North Korea — with a penalty of time in labor camp

Hot dogs have been banned in North Korea as part of a crackdown on Western culture infiltrating the country, according to reports.

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has declared that serving hot dogs is considered an act of treason, as a South Korean dish inspired by the US gains popularity, as reported by The Sun.

Individuals caught selling or cooking hot dogs could face time in North Korea’s labor camps, and Pyongyang has also prohibited the sale of budae-jjigae, a dish from South Korea, as part of efforts to eliminate capitalist culture among its citizens.

Budae-jjigae, a spicy Korean-American hotpot that includes hot dogs or spam among its ingredients, has been banned in North Korea. The dish originated from meats discarded by US soldiers during the Korean War and has made its way into North Korea in recent years.

Authorities in North Korea have also banned steamed rice cakes tteokbokki, another popular street food from South Korea, along with budae-jjigae, according to Radio Free Asia.

Reports have surfaced of divorcees in North Korea facing imprisonment in labor camps for one to six months, as divorce is considered anti-socialist and frowned upon in the communist nation. Women reportedly receive harsher sentences than men for divorce-related offenses.

A woman who claimed to have served three months of labor in South Pyongan province stated that there are about 80 women and 40 men imprisoned in the county labor training camp, with approximately 30 men and women incarcerated due to divorce decrees.