Even though you can still find commercials for it, Sony pulled the movie The Interview on Wednesday following threats from North Korean hackers. The cancellation was in response to a message that appeared online threatening to attack any movie theater that played the film.
The FBI has reason to believe that North Korea is behind this, as well as a recent cyber attack on Sony’s computers. It would make sense that perhaps these attacks are a reaction to the plot of the film, which depicts Seth Rogen and James Franco assassinating North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un.
Could this one movie have incited the first ever cyber war with another country? Here are some things to know about the mysterious hermit kingdom of North Korea, just in case.
1. Only military and government officials are allowed to own cars.
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2. It is illegal to take pictures of poor people because they believe it tarnishes North Korea’s image.
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3. North Korean archaeologists believe they discovered the lair of a Korean unicorn that a 2,000 year old king once rode.
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4. The Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea, is the largest stadium in the world, able to hold 150,000 people.
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5. Kijong-dong is a model city built to attract South Koreans to North Korea from the border, but nobody actually lives there.
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6. North Korea’s space program is called “NADA.”
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7. If you get caught reading the Bible or watching porn, you will receive the death penalty.
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8. Kim Jong-un killed his uncle by throwing him naked in a cage of 120 hungry dogs. He then killed his entire bloodline.
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9. North Korea currently holds one U.S. Navy Ship captive. It has been under their control since 1968.
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10. In North Korea, marijuana is legal and not even considered a drug.
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11. North Korea had to watch the 2014 World Cup with a 24 hour delay.
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12. In the last 60 years, 23,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea. Only two South Koreans have gone to North Korea.
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13. There are 28 government-approved haircuts citizens must choose from.
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14. North Korea has a class system with 51 tiers. The three main groups are often metaphorically described as tomatoes, apples, and grapes. Tomatoes are the most loyal because they are the reddest, and therefore communist.
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15. Wearing jeans is illegal in North Korea.
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16. North Korea doesn’t consider themselves communist anymore, but something they made up called “Juche.”
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17. January 1st will be the start of the year 103 in North Korea. Their calendar began after the birth of Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-un’s grandfather.
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As ominous as it may seem, a lot of the weird things about North Korea are just perceived power. It’s almost as if the Kim Jong-un and the country itself are trying to overcompensate for something. But if the hackings truly came from North Korea, we might have to start changing the way we think about the nation.
