Authorities in North Korea are banning and punishing residents who wear leather jackets, saying it is disrespectful to imitate the fashion election of the country's leader Kim Jong Un, local sources told RFA.
Leather coats became popular in 2019 after Kim appeared on TV wearing one. At first, genuine leather coats imported from China were taken by wealthy people who could afford them, but soon clothing manufacturers began to import fake leather to produce them locally.
Soon, almost every market in North Korea was selling them, and many young people could be seen wearing their faux leather clothing.
To stop cheap imitations and cheap imitators wearing them, genuine fashion police patrol the streets to seize jackets from retailers and citizens.
