The Turtle House

N. Korean Students Bend State Style

Seol Song Ah | 2015-03-26 11:20

Last month, North Korea’s state-run weekly, Tongil Sinbo, unveiled new school uniforms featuring dramatic changes in color and design. Media within the North reported that leader Kim Jong Eun underscored the importance of uniform production, propagating Kim’s love for the younger generation and thereby trying to rally up their loyalty.

School uniforms were once distributed for free in the North, starting in 1959. In 1977, to celebrate then-leader Kim Il Sung’s 65th birthday, the state distributed a uniform gift package for students-- from kindergarten all the way up to university--comprising summer and winter uniforms, shoes, bags, and scarves. This trend of “crowd-pleasing uniform politics” was carried out once in two to three years up until the late 1980s. However, as the country entered the Arduous March [North Korea's famine of the mid-1990s]free distribution was brought to a halt.

In 2007, marking Kim Jong Il’s 65th birthday, the state started distributing uniforms every three years until April 2012 for 5,000 KPW [0.63 USD]. However, as the quality of the fabric rendered the entire uniform substandard, students started turning to market-produced outfits with designs emulating that of the state-dispensed ones. More than 70 percent of the student population currently don these unofficial uniforms, making it impossible for the schools to effectively regulate due to the sheer number of pupils.

In contrast to the navy blue state-issued garb, the popular market-manufactured uniforms are made with black fabric, earning them the name "black ink uniforms" at the markets. Female students also outfit their uniforms with sailor collars; they also lean toward brighter colors for their casual wear because of their exposure to trends in the South.

Daily NK recently sat down with a student, who escaped the North in October after attending high school in Nampo, to learn more about changing uniform trends, how schools react to them, and what to make of the new uniforms the state rolled out.

The new uniforms for university (left), middle school (center), and elementary school (right) released by the the Tongil Sinbo last month. Image: Tongil Sinbo

Daily NK [DNK]: North Korea unveiled its new uniform. How do you think students will react?

The colors are brighter, but any student who sees this is going to think it’s unfashionable. The original uniform comes in dark navy blue, but as that color gets lighter it looks increasingly old-fashioned so the male students won’t like it. Students these days, girls or boys, all like to get their uniforms made with black fabric. So if you’re making the uniforms brighter than they already were none of them are going to want to wear it--especially the boys.

Another thing is that pant legs' trends for guys are not nearly this wide. The newly issued pants have wide legs, but when students normally reach the third grade in middle school, they start drawing them in to look more stylish. If they have to wear these new uniforms they will probably get them tailored for a slimmer fit. As for the girls’ uniform, it resembles what many women wear after they graduate from school, so I think the response will be okay.

DNK: Why do students love black so much? What colors do they prefer to wear?

Both male and female students all want black when they go to the markets to buy their uniforms. I think the "blank ink uniforms" became so popular because they look so similar to attire commonly worn by high-level officials. Those uniforms sell really well at the markets.

Female students though also like somewhat lighter colors such as green, gray, beige, and navy, since they’re not too dark but more fashionable. Most of the clothes from Japan or South Korea come in these colors. The new uniform for girls looks like it’s in that range but not quite. The gray is good, but the maroon is not a popular color with them--it's definitely going to take them some time to get used to it, if ever.

DNK: Don’t you get in trouble if you don’t wear the state-sanctioned uniforms?

Everyone has to buy the uniforms whether they like it or not, but the schools can’t force you to wear them. Wearing them strips you of all your confidence, seriously. Even the children of teachers go to the market to buy their uniforms. If you wear the state uniforms you end up feeling like an outcast and losing your self-assurance, which ends up affecting your performance in the classroom.

Not even 30 percent of the students wear the state uniforms. Other than those who come from the very poorest households, everyone else buys them at the market. Some students even get measured at the markets to have their uniforms custom made with high-quality fabric. By the end of March, there will probably be uniforms in the markets designed to look similar to the new ones. These will fetch around 150,000 [18.75 USD] to 200,000 KPW [25 USD], whereas the state ones only cost 5,000 KPW [0.63 USD].

DNK: What other attire do students wear aside from their uniforms?

Both boys and girls like to wear sporty clothing, particularly the hoodies favored by South Korean students favor. Boys like jeans [only black--blue jeans are too conspicuous] as well, but that’s monitored closely by teachers overseeing student groups. If you’re caught wearing jeans, the teacher will come up to you and cut them with a utility knife right down the center.

Girls like to wear form-fitting clothing, but they’re not allowed to wear high heels even though they'd like to. Valenki boots, which are super popular in the winter, are strictly forbidden, so they usually just wear flats or sneakers instead.

The photo on the left features a 30 USD version [far left] of a bag favored by university students,
next to a 12 USD version [center]; both are available at the markets. The image on the right is
another student bag variety that goes for about 7 USD at the markets.
Image: The British Council's "Above the Line" Exhibit

DNK: Tell us about their hairstyles.

They’re very strict with hair lengths and styles for boys; they’re required to get their hair cut like Kim Jong Eun. If you don’t have it cut close in the back or if the hair in the front grows out a bit, they’ll give you a stern warning. If you fail to take care of it even after the initial notification, the teacher overseeing your student group will use a hair clipper and shave it right down the middle of your head. Then you have to go get your entire head shaved at the barber shop and wear a hat until it grows out again.

Girls have more freedom with their hair. They can let it grow out but they’re told to braid it. Boys usually make fun of them if they do, calling it old-fashioned, so girls like to grow it out right above the length required for braiding. If you have long hair you’re allowed to use a small hair tie, but anything flashy like a ribbon or large bows are strictly forbidden. The bob cut so prevalent in the South is the most chic style. Those in the North with shorter hair generally perm it straight or do things to add a little volume to it.

DNK: Does the state give you bags, shoes, and stationary at the beginning of the school year?

They only give you a uniform and textbooks. Until 2013 they used to distribute second-hand textbooks, but from 2014--when they started the new 12th grade mandatory education system--they’ve been handing out new books. Anything else like shoes, bags, and stationary, you have to buy at the markets.

Boys usually wear sneakers, and girls wear flats made from fabric. The best sneakers are the ones produced at a factory in Sinuiju that go for about 25,000 KPW [3.13 USD]. By contrast, those manufactured by cottage industries cost roughly 12,000 KPW [1.5 USD]. The closer you get to the Hamkyung Provinces the more expensive the prices get.

Elementary school students commonly use backpacks, while middle and high school students opt for handheld bags or messenger bags. The most popular bag these days is the one that looks like a laptop bag. It’s called the “Minamja” bag because that’s what it says on the tag at the market. It’s actually a Chinese brand but a lot of students are under the impression that it's from the South. The prices range from 7 to 30 USD.