Explore the strange and surreal employment landscape of North Korea, where loyalty and presentation are paramount. From professional mourners in North Korea to workers ensuring strict queueing, these jobs reflect the nation’s unique cultural values and governance.
The Hook that Draws You In
Discover how bizarre jobs in North Korea illustrate loyalty and the regime's tight grip on society.
The Role of Professional Mourners in North Korea
Tragedy in North Korea isn’t just a personal loss; it’s a public spectacle. When a leader passes away, a group of individuals known as professional mourners take center stage. These trained professionals are adept at displaying grief through audible wails and theatrical displays. During the funeral of Kim Jong-il, footage showcased people collapsing in dramatic sobs, making their sorrow a communal experience.
The training for these mourners is rigorous. They perfect the art of crying, embodying the emotional weight tied to the country's national identity and leadership. Their tears serve as a public testament to loyalty to the regime, ensuring that the loss is magnified into a collective experience that underscores national solidarity.
Jobs Around the Supreme Leaders’ Portraits
Every household in North Korea is required to display portraits of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il prominently. Maintenance of these portraits is taken seriously; after all, any dust or smudge is a cardinal sin. Some individuals are dedicated entirely to cleaning these images, with their job title reflecting their vital contribution to the country’s public image. Inspectors are dispatched to ensure these portraits remain flawless, epitomizing how even mundane jobs reflect a deep sense of protocol and adherence to state demands.
The Observer of Escalators
In the bustling capital of Pyongyang, escalators come with a twist; they have dedicated attendants whose sole purpose is to watch individuals as they ascend and descend. This peculiar job highlights the culture of scrutiny pervasive in North Korean society. These workers ensure that people act appropriately, reinforcing the theme that citizens are constantly monitored. Their presence is a reminder of the government’s watchful eye and serves to uphold decorum in public areas.
Traffic Control with a Flair
How does North Korea handle its sparse traffic? With style. Young women in chic uniforms act as live traffic cones, directing vehicles with choreographed movements akin to dance routines. Carefully rehearsed, these performances bring an unusual flair to an otherwise mundane task. Despite the minimal traffic, the performative aspect of these jobs emphasizes the regime's focus on aesthetics and discipline, proving that every function in North Korea carries symbolic weight.
Queue Checkers: Enforcing Order
Skipping the line could result in a serious rebuke, thanks to professional queuers who monitor public gatherings. These employees are charged with enforcing the rules of queuing, making sure citizens behave at bus stops or other public areas. Their job has implications far beyond mere orderliness; it reflects a larger effort to cultivate obedience and respect for authority in the population.
Government-Assigned Tourist Guides
International visitors to North Korea can expect an experience that is anything but spontaneous. Each tourist is accompanied by a government-appointed guide, whose role is to meticulously plan each aspect of the trip, from itinerary to photographic angles. This tightly controlled environment underscores the regime's efforts to monitor and influence foreign perceptions of the country. It’s a careful choreography designed to highlight North Korea’s tourism control efforts and reinforce its image abroad.
The Repainted Propaganda
Vibrant slogans covering public buildings serve as constant reminders of the state's narrative. Workers spend their days meticulously repainting these messages, ensuring they remain vivid and visible. This role is crucial for maintaining the appearance of national pride and unity, showcasing that even propaganda must be kept in pristine condition.
Badge Inspectors: Icons of Loyalty
In North Korea, loyalty is signified through small but potent symbols, such as the loyalty badge featuring the leaders. Officials conduct surprise inspections to ensure that every citizen wears these badges. This job embodies the societal pressure to conform and display allegiance, sidelining individual expression in favor of collective identity.
Preordained Applause
Clapping is often organized, with individuals strategically placed in the audience to lead applause during political gatherings. This orchestrated show of support demonstrates the tight script of North Korean public life where spontaneous expression is replaced with planned communal behavior. This mechanistic approach to public enthusiasm ensures that every rally is choreographed to broadcast unity and compliance.
Sound System Maintainers
Loudspeakers are omnipresent in North Korea, broadcasting regime-approved news and propaganda. Technicians are tasked with ensuring these systems function flawlessly, carrying state messages effectively to the populace. This role extends well beyond technical maintenance; it symbolizes the government's desire to saturate the environment with its narrative.
Parade Supervisors: Perfect Synchrony
North Korea is notorious for its elaborate military parades, showcasing the nation’s might. Behind such spectacles are dedicated parade overseers who rigorously train participants, ensuring flawless performance. Any deviation or misstep could be viewed as a weakness in the country’s image, highlighting the importance of discipline and order in the public eye.
Monument Caretakers in Winter
Snow doesn’t halt operations in North Korea. Workers are assigned to keep statues of leaders clear of snow and ice, even in the harshest conditions. They employ hand tools to ensure that visibility and cleanliness are maintained, reflecting the extreme lengths to which the society strives to uphold the dignity of its leaders.
Fashion Enforcers
Wearing Western fashion is generally frowned upon, and 'fashion police' patrol public areas to enforce strict dress codes. These individuals ensure citizens adhere to state-approved styles and hairstyles, suppressing any signs of Western influence. This vigilance is a striking example of the regime's desire to control cultural expression and maintain an image aligned with its ideology.
Community Monitor
Each neighborhood in North Korea has an Inminban leader, usually a woman maintaining strict oversight of community behavior. Responsible for monitoring activities and ensuring adherence to regulations, this role illustrates an intricate network of local governance designed to reinforce the government's influence down to the grassroots level.
Elevator Attendants with a Twist
Even when elevators often don't operate due to power limitations, operators are required to maintain their posts. Their presence serves a symbolic function, representing loyalty to the system despite flaws in infrastructure. This shows how deeply ingrained the cultural and ideological commitments are to the state.
North Korea demonstrates how work transcends typical economic functions, leaning heavily into the demands of loyalty, discipline, and control. Whether it’s through the lens of absurdity in job roles like professional mourners in North Korea or the strict mandates on tourists, these unique jobs paint a picture of an isolated nation operating under a totalitarian regime. Each role, bizarre as it may seem, contributes to an overarching narrative that maintains the status quo and reflects the country’s values.