North Korea has ordered the public to simplify weddings and funerals to better fit the socialist lifestyle. But since North Koreans have already cut out extravagant practices due to economic hardship, the latest instruction strikes many as irritating and unnecessary meddling in their lives.
“Factories, enterprises and neighborhood watch units in the province passed along party instructions to be more frugal about holding weddings in line with the socialist lifestyle. The party is apparently trying to prevent waste before the wedding season, but North Koreans are annoyed at what seems like the authorities’ willful ignorance,” a source in Ryanggang province told Daily NK recently.
In other words, North Koreans are frustrated that officials are issuing formulaic instructions when they must know that weddings, funerals and similar events are already held very simply, without extravagance.
Amid the current economic downturn, young people have already slashed budgets for their once-in-a-lifetime wedding celebration and are holding bare-bones ceremonies.
“Today’s brides and grooms have lowered their expectations about the wedding ceremony in light of economic reality. They’re only buying basic home furnishings with an eye toward their financial needs after marriage,” the source said.
Weddings already stripped to basics
A wedding held in a county in Ryanggang province in mid-September illustrates the point.
With her parents’ help, the bride had managed to secure a teaching position at a rural branch of an elementary school that teachers typically avoided. But after marriage, she resigned and turned to business. Her official reason was that she needed to help her parents, but in reality she was trying to supplement the family’s income.
Since her husband is attending a university in Hyesan after finishing his military service with the border guard, the bride needs to become the breadwinner to cover the family’s living expenses as well as her husband’s tuition.
For all these reasons, the couple had to hold a modest ceremony.
“Since the groom’s family is from Hwanghae province, the wedding was held the same day the parents arrived. It was a sit-down affair limited to family members from both sides. Since the wedding gifts and even the wedding dress were borrowed from neighbors, I’d say the ceremony strictly conformed to what they call the ‘socialist lifestyle,'” the source said.
One local who attended the couple’s wedding sadly noted that “nobody wants to wear a borrowed dress on their special day.”
“Considering that modest weddings have already become widespread in the country, the party’s emphasis on frugality under the socialist lifestyle is just another attempt to bring all of society under its control,” the source said.
Many North Koreans are infuriated by what they see as patronizing practices.
“Everybody wants a proper wedding—it’s one of the biggest days of your life. It’s not as if people are buying fancy furniture anymore; they’re lucky to come up with a couple of blankets. So many people are rightly pointing out there aren’t any more luxuries to cut,” the source said.
