Ask a North Korean: what kind of traditional culture still exists in the DPRK? | NK News
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September 22, 2026Sep 22, 2026

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Ask A North Korean

Ask a North Korean: what kind of traditional culture still exists in the DPRK?

"Stop laughing and listen! This fortuneteller is really good, she figures things out well"

Welcome back, NK News readers, to our Ask a North Korean. And also, Happy Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving)!

The three-day Chuseok holiday — from the 12th to the 14th here in South Korea — means that today’s article is rather timely.

Agata from Gdańsk, Poland asks: “Are there any manifestations of traditional culture… in North Korea despite the limitations?”

In-hua Kim, our North Korean writer, decided to touch on traditional culture in Korea — both the official and the underground — by writing about traditional holidays and also her experience with fortunetellers in her hometown.

Many national holidays in the DPRK