10 Things You Didn't Know About North Korea

Other than that it's ruled by a despot and appears to be one of Dennis Rodman's favorite places on Earth, how much do you really know about North Korea?



Other than that it's ruled by a despot and appears to be one of Dennis Rodman's favorite places on Earth, how much do you really know about North Korea?

Here are 10 facts to help fill in the gaps.

Number 10. For the most part it's just the military and government officials who own cars. That makes auto ownership a rarity in the country, with only about 11 people in 1 thousand having one.

Number 9. There are only 28 approved haircuts. Married women have more options than single ones, and men's hair can be no longer than 2 and three-quarters inches.



Number 8. It's only the year 102 in North Korea. In the US, we're on the Gregorian calendar, which continues a previous practice of using the year of Christ's birth as 0. In North Korea the idea is kind of the same, but the starting point is the year Kim Il- Sung, founder of the current dynasty, entered the world.

Number 7. Citizens are required to hang pictures of the deceased Kim Il-Sung and his departed son Kim Jong-Il in their homes.

Number 6 - Speaking of their leaders' pictures at home, people have died trying to save them. Among the most recent victims was a 14-year-old girl who drowned while trying to keep the portraits above water following a flood.

Number 5. North Korea has a fake city. It was built in 1950 to try to lure South Koreans over the border, so it's visible from the demilitarized zone. Adding to its attention-getting facade are real lights, switched on by timers so it looks like somebody's home.

Number 4. North Korea boasts a literacy rate of 99 percent. However, take it with a grain of salt as it is rumored that the country defines being literate as having the ability to write their leader's name.

Number 3. North Korea has built tunnels that extend into the territory of their southern neighbors. Each can accommodate the passage of tens of thousand of troops an hour.

Number 2. Marijuana is not only legal, it isn't even legally considered a drug. Using meth, on the other hand, is punishable by death.

Number 1. Basketball is different there. In the final minutes of the game, the value of a field goal goes up to 8 points. Miss a free throw and it'll cost you 1 point.