Oppressed and indispensable: Women in North Korea

There are no heroines in North Korea. At least not if you believe the regime’s official statements. Loyalty to the state and obedience take centre stage here – and women are primarily seen as the silent supporters of a male-dominated society. But a closer look reveals a different picture: it is primarily the women who secure the daily lives of their families in a crisis-ridden country, often at the expense of their own security and freedom. There, they struggle with the demands that the traditional role model places on them: as the perfect mother, obedient wife and invisible labourer. We shed light on the contradictory world of North Korean women, who are oppressed on the one hand, but irreplaceable on the other – far more than those in power would admit.

In 1945, a new chapter began for North Korea – and with it a redefinition of the role of women. The end of Japanese colonial rule initially brought an unexpected promise for North Korean women: Equality. After centuries of patriarchal structures, socialist ideology seemed to herald a new era. Political rights, access to education and the opportunity to work on an equal footing were a step into an unknown but hopeful future for many women. However, these hopes were soon put to the test by the reality of the Korean War.

Women took on tasks that had previously been reserved for men. They worked in armaments factories, cared for the wounded and were on the front line of reconstruction. At the same time, they remained trapped in their traditional roles as wives and mothers. The war not only meant the loss of loved ones, but also forced women to find their way in a country that lay in ruins. After the war, the mobilisation of women became official state doctrine. In films and propaganda, they were portrayed as irreplaceable, driving forward light industry and at the same time carrying out the revolution in families.

But while socialist ideology ascribed an important role to women, economic and political reality increasingly limited their opportunities. Heavy industry – the flagship of reconstruction – was a male domain, while women’s work was often dismissed as secondary.

With the economic collapse of the 1990s, women’s lives changed radically once again. They became the driving force behind the so-called Langmadang economy, an informal market system that emerged in the midst of state failure. These markets offered many women the opportunity to feed their families.

The Covid-19 crisis has further destabilised the already fragile social and economic order in North Korea, with catastrophic consequences for women and girls. They are under a double burden – as the main breadwinners and as key carers in their families. With the closure of the borders and the regime’s strict control of movement and trade opportunities, many women have lost access to the Langmadang markets where they traditionally secure their families’ livelihoods. The country’s already scarce resources were further restricted by the pandemic, making it even more difficult for women to access food, medicine and health services.

A UN report documents an alarming increase in domestic violence, often triggered by the economic strain and forced isolation during the pandemic. Violence against women in North Korea is not only ignored by the state, but often indirectly encouraged. Impunity for perpetrators and the stigmatisation of survivors mean that violence against women remains a largely invisible phenomenon that is not held accountable.

A particularly dark chapter of the report highlights the conditions for imprisoned women. Many of them, who are often detained for minor or politically motivated offences, are imprisoned without access to legal assistance or fair trials. While in detention, they experience the most serious human rights violations – including torture, sexual abuse and forced labour. These practices show how violence against women is systematically used not only at a societal level, but also at a state level to exert control and deter them.

The situation of women and girls in North Korea has become even more precarious due to the pandemic, so for many, fleeing the country remains the only hope for a better life – a path full of danger and suffering. Nine out of ten refugees from North Korea who make it to South Korea in 2024 were women. The reasons why it is predominantly women who take these risky escape routes are complex. On the one hand, their role in North Korean society – especially as traders in the markets – sometimes offers them more mobility and access to information than men. On the other hand, men are exposed to great risks if they try to leave the country due to the regime’s strict control and the danger of being persecuted as deserters from the army. So while men are often apprehended at the border with China and immediately sent back, women are more likely to succeed in hiding in China – often under poor conditions. Even after a successful escape from North Korea, the journey to South Korea remains a long and dangerous process. Many women spend years, sometimes even decades, in China or other transit countries before they are given the opportunity to continue their journey. During this time, they often live in constant fear of discovery, as Chinese authorities regularly arrest and deport North Korean refugees – a practice that is repeatedly and harshly criticised by international human rights organisations. In China, where women are in short supply due to the one-child policy and the associated gender inequality, a black market for North Korean brides has developed. These women are not only deprived of their freedom, but often remain trapped in a form of captivity for years before they manage to find help and continue their escape.

Amidst the many problems that plague women in North Korea – from poverty to everyday violence to systematic oppression – Kim Jong Un’s response to the falling birth rate is remarkably cynical. While the dictator emphasised in a tearful speech at the end of 2023 that he wanted to solve the challenges of the demographic decline in close cooperation with mothers, he ignored the actual needs and rights of women. A society that views women primarily as childbearing machines while violating their basic rights and freedoms will never be able to bring about real change. Creating conditions that allow women to live without fear of abuse or oppression would be a real step towards increasing the birth rate – not the dictator’s purely symbolic and politically motivated rhetoric.

Translated by Anna Smith

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