Mother’s Day is an annual celebration where people honor the mothers in their lives in various cultures around the world. The holiday, typically celebrated in May, has roots in the United States and is celebrated around the world. However, one country notably absent from those celebrating the day is North Korea. Mother’s Day in North Korea has been banned since its inception.
Mother’s Day was originally created by Anna Jarvis in the US in 1914 as a way of honoring her own mother, who had passed away the year before. Nearly every other country in the world soon adopted Mother’s Day, but for reasons that remain unclear, Mother’s Day was not adopted in North Korea when it gained independence from Japan in 1945. To this day, Mother’s Day is not officially celebrated in North Korea, nor are there any references to it in the country’s media.
In recent years, there have been reports of North Korean citizens celebrating Mother’s Day in their own, more private ways. For example, some North Koreans reportedly celebrate Mother’s Day by visiting their mothers’ graves and leaving flowers. Others, who live abroad, reportedly honor the day by sending gifts to their family still living in North Korea, or sending money back to North Korea to honor their mothers’ sacrifices.
This isn’t the only holiday North Korea has banned over the years. Other holidays that are traditionally celebrated in other countries, such as New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day and Christmas, are also not officially recognized or celebrated in North Korea. In many ways, this is reflective of North Korea’s isolation from the rest of the world, as well as the country’s policy of controlling the citizens’ access to outside cultural influences.
International experts suggest that the North Korean government bans these holidays and does not recognize Mother’s Day in order to prevent its citizens from drawing any international comparisons. This helps to maintain the North Korean government’s control over its citizens and keeps North Korean life within their tightly regulated state-controlled boundaries. North Korean citizens are kept away from western influences such as reality TV shows, rap music and pop culture, making it hard to find out how North Koreans actually view mother’s day.
North Korea is a country where the government is the focal point. Mothers Day is thus not recognized as it could be seen to detract from the government’s authority. If North Koreans focus on mothers as a force of nourishment and strength, it is a form of taking away the government’s role of supplying all their citizens’ needs. Any challenge of that system could be seen as a threat to the government.
The concept of celebrating mothers isn’t necessarily foreign to North Koreans, however, as the country does have its own notion of honoring mothers. On October 18th, North Koreans recognize the holiday of “Mother’s Day,” though it doesn’t have the same meaning as the holiday celebrated in other countries. Rather, North Koreans mark this day for paying homage to current leader Kim Jong Un’s mother, Ko Yong Hui. The day is an official national holiday and is a show of respect to North Korean mothers and leaders.
What The Official Response Is
In response to questions regarding the banning of Mother’s Day, the North Korean government has been very clear: there is no official celebration of Mother’s Day in North Korea and there are no plans to officially recognize the holiday in the future. This stance has remained unchanged in recent years, despite the growing global acceptance of the holiday.
Some believe that one of the main reasons behind the ban is to ensure that North Koreans remain loyal to their own government, not the external world. It has been reported that if North Koreans are exposed to any foreign culture, their loyalty to the government could be affected. This applies to Western holidays like Mother’s Day, which has a strong connection to the US.
In addition, it’s possible that having an officially recognized Mother’s Day holiday could be seen as challenging the authority of the ruling Kim family. As mentioned above, North Korea already celebrates an unofficial “Mother’s Day” on October 18 to honor the late Kim Jong Il’s mother, Ko Yong Hui. Allowing citizens to express gratitude and love to their own mothers could be seen as a distraction from the official holiday celebrating Kim Jong Il’s mother.
What North Koreans Think Of It
Since North Koreans rarely have access to the global views of motherhood, it’s difficult to know the opinion of the general population regarding Mother’s Day. However, of those that have escaped from the nation, many cite their mothers as an extremely influential force in their lives and a reminder of why they left.
North Korean refugees in Seoul and other cities regularly reunite with their families in North Korea via video-link. Even though it is not an official holiday, most North Koreans living abroad mark Mother’s Day. These North Koreans say that there is a strong cultural importance placed on honoring mothers in North Korean society.
An example of this is the recent case of a North Korean woman who called out to her daughter across the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Using a video-link, the woman expressed her pride in her daughter’s achievements and expressed her wish for her daughter to be with her once again. This is just one example of the powerful bonds between North Korean mothers and their families, even in the face of a government that does not officially recognize these relationships.
The Humanitarian Impact
It is important to note that punishing citizens for celebrating or participating in foreign holidays and customs could have a humanitarian impact, as it does not allow for the free exchange of ideas and cultural expression. Allowing citizens to express gratitude and love to their own mothers could be seen as a distraction from the official holiday celebrating Kim Jong Il’s mother.
Mother’s Day is a holiday that celebrates the powerful bond between a mother and her child, regardless of their circumstances. This bond is as powerful in North Korea as it is in the rest of the world and should be honored and celebrated. North Korea’s decision to ban Mother’s Day is a stark reminder of the power that the state holds over its citizens, and the limitations placed on their freedom of expression.
The Effect Of Sanctions On North Korea
As mentioned above, Mother’s Day is not officially recognized or celebrated in North Korea. However, the economic sanctions imposed by the US and other countries have had an impact on the availability of goods and services in North Korea, including those typically associated with Mother’s Day.
The sanctions have led to shortages of key materials and limited access to medical supplies and even simple parenting materials such as diapers and formula, making it difficult for North Korean mothers to provide for their families. This can be especially hard on mothers in rural areas and in the countryside, where access to resources is extremely limited.
The economic sanctions have complicated and further limited the already sparse resources available in North Korea, creating a situation in which many mothers and families are struggling to survive. This is a sad reality for mothers in North Korea, who, in addition to living under an oppressive government, are struggling to make ends meet.
The Global Perception Of North Korea
Since the ban on Mother’s Day was enacted, it has been seen and written about in the media as a sign of the oppressive nature of the North Korean regime. This perception is a double-edged sword, as it has drawn attention to the plight of North Korean mothers, while also painting a negative image of the North Korean government in the eyes of the international community.
The media has largely focused on the ban and its implications, but it has also highlighted some of the positive aspects of North Korean culture, such as the strong sense of family that exists in North Korean society. This has led to a more nuanced understanding of the North Korean government and its people.
Despite the ban on Mother’s Day and the economic sanctions imposed on North Korea, North Korean mothers still manage to find ways to celebrate the day and honor their mothers. For example, the flower-tossing practice in the DMZ is a reminder that the powerful bond between mothers and their children can still exist in even the most oppressive of environments.
