Monopoly evokes memories of family game nights, laughter over questionable trades, and fierce battles for Boardwalk and Park Place. It’s a quintessential capitalist pastime, right? But what if I told you this emblem of market competition is actually banned in one of the world’s most secretive nations—North Korea? Strange as it sounds, Monopoly doesn’t just clash with North Korea’s political landscape; it’s outright prohibited. Let’s unpack why.
The Game of Capitalism: Why Monopoly is More Than Just a Board Game
Monopoly is no ordinary game. Designed to simulate property ownership, investment, and economic ascendance, it’s essentially a distillation of free-market capitalism. From collecting rent to buying properties and bankrupting opponents, the game teaches players how to accumulate wealth and power in a competitive environment. For many countries, Monopoly is innocuous fun. But for a regime that views capitalism as an existential threat, this game represents a dangerously subversive idea.
In North Korea, collective success is the goal, enforced through strict control of the economy and societal hierarchy. The concept of individual wealth accumulation embodied by Monopoly isn’t just unwelcome—it’s an offense against the state ideology of Juche, which stresses self-reliance, collectivism, and loyalty to the regime. Monopoly pushes players to think like ruthless capitalists, which is fundamentally incompatible with North Korea’s political doctrine.
North Korea’s Approach to Western Influence
There’s a reason North Korea has sometimes been called the Hermit Kingdom. Its leadership has long been alarmed by Western culture and consumerism infiltrating its society. From K-pop to Hollywood films, anything hinting at individualism or foreign influence sparks immediate crackdowns. Monopoly, a flashy symbol of American capitalism, sits squarely in that crosshairs.
The government carefully controls which games, books, and media survive North Korea’s censorship. Popular Western board games like Monopoly, Risk, or even Scrabble are absent. Instead, it’s very common to find games promoting collective cooperation, loyalty to the regime, and socialist values. Monopoly threatens these principles, teaching players about market dominance through acquisition and profit rather than cooperation or shared success.
Lessons Monopoly Teaches That North Korea Can’t Allow
Think about the core mechanics of Monopoly. Players start with equal resources, but the aim is clear: bankrupt everyone else and emerge as the supreme capitalist mogul. It’s a winner-takes-all system. This emphasis on competition, property rights, and financial independence is diametrically opposed to North Korea’s economic model, which revolves around centralized control, restricted private property, and an absence of a free market.
Moreover, Monopoly simulates the concept of economic inequality, a taboo subject in North Korea. The state itself maintains a narrative of unity and equality under Kim Jong-un’s regime. Demonstrating a game where wealth disparity is the key goal flies in the face of that message.
Real Risks of Monopoly in North Korea
You might wonder—surely a board game couldn’t pose a real threat? But in North Korea’s extremely authoritarian environment, even small infractions can lead to severe punishment. The government views any promotion of capitalist ideas as political dissent. Playing or owning Monopoly could be interpreted as a challenge to the state’s ideological foundations.
There have been reports and numerous defector testimonies confirming that possession of banned ideological materials, including Western games, could lead to imprisonment, forced labor camps, or worse. Subjecting yourself or your family to such risks over a game? It’s almost unthinkable.
An Unlikely Symbol of Rebellion
Interestingly, banned items like Monopoly can become symbols of resistance. Smuggling Western games in shows a desire for alternative ways of thinking, a yearning for something beyond the controlled narratives. While the risk is extreme, some North Koreans still attempt to hunt for or trade banned media. It’s a subtle yet poignant form of rebellion, combating the isolation through cultural infiltration—even something as simple as a board game.
How Monopoly’s Ban Sheds Light on North Korea’s Closed Economy
The Monopoly ban highlights the stark contrasts between North Korea’s closed economy and the global capitalist system. While Monopoly encourages players to negotiate, strategize, and exploit market opportunities, North Korea’s economy operates under a command system where the state dictates output, pricing, and distribution. Private entrepreneurship is nearly non-existent, and currency plays a different role compared to free-market nations.
This makes Monopoly doubly dangerous: it’s not just a game but a critique, however indirect, of how a nation’s economy functions. It puts into perspective what freedom or capitalism looks like—concepts that the regime desperately wants to avoid exposing its citizens to.
Monopoly and Parallel Societies
In places where capitalism is banned or restricted, Western board games like Monopoly don’t merely function as entertainment—they become cultural artifacts embodying forbidden worlds. They offer a glimpse of life outside rigid controls, inviting players to imagine alternatives.
This dynamic isn’t unique to North Korea. Historical examples include Soviet restrictions on Western media or China’s tight censorship of capitalist ideas. Monopoly is a vehicle for those ideas, making it a natural target for authoritarian regimes.
What the Monopoly Ban Teaches Us
It may seem almost silly that a board game can carry so much ideological weight. But that’s precisely the point. Monopoly isn’t just a pastime; it’s a distillation of deeply held beliefs about economics, power, and society. The game’s ban in North Korea underscores how symbols can challenge power structures, even in the form of dice, cards, and plastic houses.
On a personal level, it makes me wonder about the cultural significance of the games and stories we often take for granted. What if our simple games taught forbidden ideas? What parts of our everyday lives quietly transmit powerful cultural messages? Monopoly’s baning gives a rare peek into the mechanics of control and fear governing one of the world’s most isolated places.
If you want to test how much you know about North Korea and the world’s quirks, you might enjoy trying your hand at the latest international news quiz. It’s a fun way to keep curious and informed, just like exploring these deeper stories behind what seems simple.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not intend to promote or endorse any political views or ideologies. Information about North Korea is based on available sources, but due to the secretive nature of the regime, some details may be limited or subject to change.
