Censorship in North Korea knows no bounds, extending even to the clothing of program hosts. The North Korean state channel decided to blur the jeans of Alan Titchmarsh, the host of the gardening program from the British "BBC." The "Central TV" channel aired a 2010 version of the program "Secrets of the Garden" for its morning audience, ensuring that viewers did not see the jeans worn by the presenter.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported that North Korea bans jeans, viewing them as a symbol of Western imperialism, with laws against wearing them dating back to the 1990s, according to British network "Sky News." It noted that leader Kim Jong Il declared at the time that jeans symbolize American imperialism and have no place in a socialist state, as reported by South Korean news agency "NK News."
This is not the first instance; in recent years, the campaign against Western culture has reiterated this ban. In 2020, the state-run newspaper "Rodong Sinmun" urged citizens to reject what it called "bourgeois culture" in favor of a "sublime socialist lifestyle." The current leader, Kim Jong Un, known for his preference for loose clothing, is reported to be angered by tight jeans and shirts adorned with Western logos that are popular in South Korea.
This raises the question: how did North Korea obtain a "BBC" program? Especially since Western programs are rare on its screens, with the regime exceptionally wary about allowing foreign culture to enter the country. It is worth mentioning that this is not the first time "Secrets of the Garden" has aired on North Korean television, and Titchmarsh was surprised to see himself on the screens in the socialist state.
