Male university students in North Korea are now required to get the same haircut as the leader Kim Jong-un, while female students are being ordered to keep their hair as short as that of the first lady Ri Sol-Ju, according to Radio Free Asia. 

North Korea introduced the sate-sanctioned guideline to the capital Pyongyang about two weeks ago, and it is now being spread across the country. This haircut is unpopular because it resembles the style sported by Chinese smugglers a decade ago.

Until now, North Koreans were only allowed to choose from 18 different hairstyles for women and 10 for men. Even North Korea’s state TV held a campaign against long hair, with the slogan “Let us trim our hair in accordance with the Socialist lifestyle.”

A source inside the country said that "In the past, the authorities did not make a particular hairstyle compulsory. This is the first time. So criticism against the instruction is unavoidable."

SOURCE: RFA.