A Controlled Celebration: Seollal in North Korea

By Alvin Shin, Joseph Kim

Seollal, the Lunar New Year, is traditionally one of the most important holidays in Korean culture, centered on family gatherings, ancestral respect, and shared meals. In North Korea, however, Seollal exists in a highly controlled form shaped by state ideology, economic scarcity, and political priorities. While the holiday is officially recognized and celebrated, its meaning and practice differ significantly from traditions observed elsewhere on the Korean Peninsula.

At the state level, Seollal serves a symbolic and political function. Government media emphasize loyalty to the leadership, portraying the holiday as a time to express gratitude to the state rather than to honor ancestors. Official broadcasts highlight visits to statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, collective pledges of loyalty, and messages emphasizing unity and perseverance. These activities are designed to reinforce ideological conformity, turning a historically family-centered holiday into one aligned with state narratives.

For ordinary citizens, Seollal is marked less by celebration and more by temporary relief from routine obligations. Schools, factories, and offices often close for one or two days, allowing people brief rest from work assignments. Families attempt to prepare special meals, but food shortages severely limit what is possible. While traditional Seollal foods such as rice cake soup (tteokguk) are culturally significant, many households lack the ingredients to prepare them properly. Instead, families improvise using corn, potatoes, or whatever grains they can access through state rations or informal markets.

Gift-giving, another important aspect of Seollal, also reflects inequality. The state distributes “holiday supplies” to selected groups, including party officials, soldiers, and model workers. These packages may include cooking oil, alcohol, meat, or sweets—items that are otherwise scarce. However, many households receive little or nothing, reinforcing social hierarchies. For those without access to state favor, informal markets become essential for acquiring food or small gifts, often at inflated prices during the holiday period.

Traditional customs such as ancestral rites (jesa) are discouraged or quietly practiced, as they conflict with the regime’s rejection of Confucian and religious traditions. Older generations may still observe these rituals privately, but younger North Koreans are more exposed to state-sanctioned versions of Seollal that emphasize collective identity over family lineage. As a result, cultural continuity is uneven, shaped by surveillance and ideological pressure.

Overall, Seollal in North Korea illustrates how cultural traditions adapt under authoritarian conditions. While the holiday retains symbolic importance, its practice is constrained by scarcity and political control. Rather than a time of abundance and renewal, Seollal becomes a moment that exposes inequality, dependence on the state, and the resilience of households navigating limited resources.

Reference

Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS). (n.d.). Differences in how both Koreas celebrate Lunar New Year : Korea.net : The official website of the Republic of Korea. Copyright(C) 1999-2016 KOCIS. All Rights Reserved. https://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Society/view?articleId=181817

Lunar New Year in North Korea | What is Seollal (설날)? (n.d.). https://libertyinnorthkorea.org/blog/lunar-new-year-in-north-korea-what-is-seollal

Seollal 2026 in North Korea. (n.d.). https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/north-korea/lunar-new-years-day