December 21, 2025: In the Imun gun, as the North Korean army is known locally, discipline is strict. This applies to all aspects of a soldier's life, including how long their hair is, how it is cut, where it is cut and who does the cutting. This bizarre situation was demonstrated earlier this year when officers banned their men from going to local towns and villages to have their hair cut by barbers. The troops had been doing this for some time and one particularly strict commander found out about this violation of hair maintenance discipline. Army rules mandate that soldiers have their hair cut on base by a senior soldier using clippers. These official haircuts leave the hair looking ragged and unsightly. The observant disciplinarian commander noticed his troops had neatly trimmed hair and knew that they had violated the hair maintenance regulations. That soldier and his squad sergeant were punished with ten consecutive days of guard duty.

This crackdown was noticed by the local barbers, who saw their income drastically reduced. But they knew that after a few weeks the soldiers would return to the civilian barbers.

It’s not just the North Koreas who act like this. Twenty-four years ago, US Army Special Forces troops in Afghanistan were quietly allowed to go native, at least in appearance, once more. When Special Forces first entered Afghanistan in October 2001, they dressed like Afghans, including growing beards or moustaches. But in 2002, Army commanders in Afghanistan ordered the Special Forces to get in uniform and shave. Special Forces commanders complained that the civilian dress was often a matter of life and death, but it wasn't until a new Army Chief of Staff, a former SOCOM commander, came in and cut the Special Forces some slack.