Weather of Arabia - North Korea issued a decision prohibiting its citizens from laughing or engaging in recreational activities starting Friday (December 17) as part of the 11-day mourning marking the tenth anniversary of former leader "Kim Jong Il", father of current President Kim Jong Un.
The siren went off for three minutes at noon on Friday and the North Koreans kept quiet and bowed in respect to Kim Jong Il.
Speaking on Radio Free Asia, a North Korean citizen stated: “People cannot even celebrate their birthdays if they happen to be in mourning.” He added, “If a family member dies during the mourning period, they are not allowed to shout out loudly.” The body must be taken out after the mourning period is over."
"Previously, many people were caught celebrating during the mourning period, they were arrested and treated as ideological criminals," the source said, "They were taken away and no one saw them again."
Since the mourning was declared, national flags have been lowered in half and a large number of people have been seen climbing Mansu Hill in Pyongyang to lay flowers and bow in front of giant statues of Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung, the founder of North Korea.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Kim Jong Un was seen with hundreds of officials at a gathering outside Kumsusan Palace in the capital, Pyongyang, where the mummified bodies of his father and grandfather lay under glass.
It is reported that the former President Kim Jong Il ruled North Korea for 17 years until his death on December 17, 2011. According to Reuters, his death was not reported until two days later by state media.
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