The sale of hot dogs and similar Western foods has been banned in North Korea, a decisive move by Kim Jong Un to purge the country he tightly controls of foreign influence. That’s right; the dazzle ban is in effect. The authorities declared the foods a symbol of treachery, and those who defied the ban would face severe penalties. As the regime intensifies its efforts to combat capitalist infiltration, vendors face forced labor when cooking or selling food.
Budae-jjigae, or “military stew,” is one of the prohibited dishes. It originated in South Korea during the Korean War, repurposing leftover supplies like hot dogs and Spam left behind by the U.S. military. While this relic of suffering has become a cultural icon in South Korea, its presence in the north since 2017 is now considered intolerable. Officials have closed markets selling the dish and warned violators of severe consequences.
A vendor in Liangjiang City reported the crackdown, saying sales had stopped completely. Authorities have shown no sign of relaxing their tight grip on the market and have not threatened to punish those caught selling hot dogs.
The purge is consistent with broader efforts to eliminate behavior the regime considers anti-socialist. Recent reports claim that divorcees labeled as subversive can now be sentenced to up to six months in a labor camp. In North Korea, divorce requires state approval and remains a deeply stigmatized practice.
Kim Jong Un’s government enforces loyalty with an iron fist and suppresses any hint of foreign influence or dissent. For ordinary people, even food has become a battlefield for control.
