North Korean people cannot thank on “Mother Day” to their wonderful mothers because such gestures are shown towards North Korea’s leaders only. Mothers are to work hard to raise children to be good people, and if sacrifices are needed, they will sacrifice to do so. But to just show a gesture giving her a thank you bouquet is banned in North Korea.
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No ‘Thank you’ or ‘I love you’ for Mother’s Day
“The regime has begun restricting the practice of attaching ribbons signifying a ‘thank you or ‘I love you’ since it encroaches upon the significance of cult-of-personality offerings of flower baskets in front of portraits [of former North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il],” a North Korean resident told the Daily NK news website, a South Korean news publisher for North Korea through anonymous sources.
“Sadly, people have to express thanks to ‘the father’ Kim Jong Un after every little thing he does, but we cannot express thanks to our actual mothers on Mother’s Day,” he added.
Celebration of Mother’s Day in North Korea
Mother’s day was introduced when Kim Jong Un came to power. In 2012, November 16 was declared a public holiday. This day is celebrated to commemorate the date of a speech North Korea‘s first leader Kim Il Sung made in 1961, titled “The Duty of Mothers in the Education of Children.”
On this day, adults would buy clothes from their earned money for their mothers, and children would save money from part-time jobs and would gift winter gloves to their mothers.
This day marks an opportunity to enjoy, shop, and consume. People go out and spend money. Shops are crowded with customers.
Leader Kim Jong Un sent a gift package containing cosmetics, candies, cookies, and alcoholic drinks to the country’s Women Socialist Union of Korea on this day.
Myth of Gender Equality in North Korea
Celebrating this day, North Korea tries to showcase gender equality in the country. But do you think it is true? Have we ever seen Kim Jong Un’s mother or wife in public? Or any female in government or political jobs?
The fact is women are still seen as a minority in the country. Hardly any position has a woman or is under its leadership. The military is also filled with men.
But a rare exception is seen for the leader’s sister Kim Yo Jong, who was named in a high-ranking party position but, of course, she will not be a threat to him because of her gender.
Life of ordinary North Korean women
Ordinary North Korean women are discriminated against, threatened, not provided jobs, victims of malnutrition, and exploited. As a result, some flee the country for a better future.
In a report, it is seen that 70 percent of the 30,000 North Korean defectors in South Korea are women.
