In never-seen-before images from the secretive state, the smartly dressed student decided to catch 40 winks during a State Circus show in the capital Pyongyang.
Although the event featured acrobats and performing animals against a backdrop of missile launches and patriotic songs, the action wasn’t enough to stir the youngster.
A tourist among the crowd photographed the student while he slept through the performance – a sign of disrespect to supreme leader Kim.
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The visitor said: “In North Korea you should always look not just in front, at the show they want you to look at, but at the back or the sides for interesting things.
“I had guessed it was against the rules to sleep during the show, but the sleeping guy’s colleagues who sat near him didn’t wake him up.”
North Korea famously executed one senior minister believed to have fallen asleep during a speech by the leader Kim.
Kim Yong-jin, the vice-premier for education, paid the price for his “bad sitting posture” in North Korea’s parliament.
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“You chant 'long live' and clap because you don't want to die.”
North Korean defector
Autocrat Kim is said to have ordered the execution of the high-ranking official by anti-aircraft gun.
His regime recently punished two top military chiefs to stamp out fears of a military coup.
Falling asleep at the wrong time or failing to join in applause at high profile events is punishable by death, according to North Korean defectors.
Speaking anonymously, one said: “If you don't clap, if you nod off, you're marked as not following Kim Jong-un's doctrine.
“You have to do it because you don't want to die. You chant 'long live' and clap because you don't want to die."
A rare and fascinating look inside the secretive state of North Korea
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Tickets for the circus, a popular tourist attraction, are approximately £20 – roughly a fifth of the average monthly salary in North Korea.
According to the CIA, the average North Korean takes home roughly $1,700 (£1,272) a year or $142 (£105) a month.
Tha means a £20 circus ticket is too pricey for many of Kim’s people and the audience usually comprises members of the elite.
The sleeping audience member is marked out as a student by his red tie and grey jacket, which resembles a new uniform launched last year.