North Korea bans tourists from using the words hamburger and karaoke: what they have replaced them with

According to glavcom.ua: North Korea continues to surprise the world with restrictions and stringent laws. Recently, tourists have been banned from using the words 'hamburger', 'karaoke', and other foreign expressions. Tour guides are instructed to use only local names and to avoid foreign words during tours.

About 20-30 guides undergo a strict training program conducted by officials from the Human Resources Department of the Workers' Party of Korea in Kangwon Province.

For example, instead of 'hamburger', one can now call it 'dajin-gogi gyoppan' (double bread with beef mince). Karaoke bars should now be referred to as 'screen accompaniment devices'. These are just some examples that demonstrate the stringent limitations on freedom of speech in this country.

Restrictions on the use of foreign words in Russia

Unfortunately, restrictions on the use of foreign words are observed not only in North Korea. The State Duma of Russia has adopted a draft law in its first reading that prohibits the use of foreign words in the public sphere, as well as in advertising, media, trade, services, and construction. Such actions create additional restrictions for citizens and support language protectionism.

Linguist Olga Vasilyeva compiled a list of 200 words that many Ukrainians mistakenly consider Russianisms, whereas in fact, they are uniquely Ukrainian.

The restrictions on the use of foreign words for tourists in North Korea and the draft law in Russia indicate that the governments of both countries are actively striving to preserve and support their own language culture, emphasizing the use of their own terms and expressions in everyday life. Such measures can create additional difficulties for foreign visitors and citizens who use foreign words in communication.