"Punishment for Prostitution in North Korea Mainly Targets Women... Earning Money Enhances Men's Status"

Hanbando Mirae Women Research Institute Announcement
'Review Report on the Implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in North Korea'

"North Korea limits the punishment for 'prostitution,' or 매음죄, in its enforcement regulations to women. While men are punished for procuring prostitution, the primary targets of prostitution-related punishments in practice are women."

This is the assessment of experts who say that discriminatory laws and systems based on gender persist in North Korea, where prostitution punishments are limited to women. According to Yonhap News Agency, researchers from the Korea Future Women's Research Institute, composed of North Korean defectors, presented these findings on the 30th at the 'Seminar on the Review Report for North Korea's Implementation of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW),' held at the Seoul Global Center and hosted by the Korean Women’s Political Research Institute.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) warmly shakes hands with Choe Son-hui, North Korean Foreign Minister, who visited the Moscow Kremlin on January 16 (local time).
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The researchers pointed out that "although North Korea is a party to CEDAW, many gender-discriminatory provisions remain in its criminal and administrative punishment laws." After submitting two CEDAW reports, North Korea introduced measures such as a quota system for female officials, but the effects felt by North Korean women are minimal.

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is a UN human rights treaty adopted in 1979. It comprehensively covers women's rights and is often called the "Bill of Rights for Women’s Human Rights." Countries that ratify the convention have a legal obligation to review their domestic laws and implement national policies in accordance with the principles, vision, and content specified in CEDAW.

They also highlighted the low proportion of women among the heads of North Korea’s Cabinet-affiliated institutions. The research team explained, "Among the heads of 44 central state institutions under the Cabinet, only one woman, Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, holds a position, and the proportion of women decreases significantly toward the core of the Workers' Party of Korea, the center of power." Choe Son-hui is recognized as the first woman in North Korea to rapidly rise to the position of Foreign Minister. She also represented North Korea during her visit to Russia in January, where she met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Exhibition on the Reality of North Korean Women's Human Rights Held at the National Assembly
Photo by Yonhap News

The researchers further analyzed that "although women’s market activities have increased their voice within the household, this has not translated into improved social status." The money earned by women in markets such as jangsi (traditional markets) has been used to cover the costs necessary for the rise of North Korean men’s social status, but North Korean women themselves have sacrificed their education and social standing. They argued, "An ironic result has emerged where the fruits of women’s efforts lead to the social advancement of men."

This report was prepared based on North Korean laws and in-depth interviews and surveys with defectors. It was also submitted as a civil society report to the UN Human Rights Council ahead of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of North Korea scheduled for November.