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A new law in North Korea provides for harsh punishments for couples seeking divorce, further restricting individual freedoms in the country.
The government of North Korea implemented new legislation that makes divorce a serious crime, marking a drastic change in the country's social policies. lei, announced recently, provides for severe punishments for couples who attempt to formalize their separation.
Couples who choose to divorce in North Korea now face a harsh new reality: both partners are sent to detention camps. day for up to six months as punishment.
The decision, reported by the independent news service Radio Free Asia (RFA), was recently implemented and has caused international repercussions.
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According to reports, divorce is seen by the North Korean regime as an act of “anti-socialist sympathies".
In some cases, women receive longer sentences than men, exposing a disparity in the application of punishments.
Context of the new rule
Before the pandemic, divorce was already stigmatized in North Korea, considered a “abnormal behaviorl” and a social problem.
Only the spouse who initiated the process was punished by being sent to labor camps. Now, both partners are subject to the same penalty.
The move reflects an attempt by the government to curb rising rates of separation, seen as a threat to social stability.
Official data on divorces in the country are scarce, but the last national census, carried out in 2008, indicated that only 3% of the population was classified as separated.
Impacts of the Pandemic
North Korea’s rising divorce rates have been fueled by economic hardships exacerbated by the pandemic. Meanwhile, couples fleeing to South Korea have also contributed to the trend.
A recent report from South Korea's Ministry of Unification revealed that 28,7 percent of women and 15,2 percent of men interviewed in a survey were divorced.
However, the real impact of these new punishments is not yet fully known, as the regime is notoriously closed and strictly controls the disclosure of internal information.
Testimonies reveal the reality of the camps
A woman recently released from a labor camp in South Pyongan province told RFA that she spent three months serving her sentence. She said the camp housed about 80 women and 40 men, 30 of whom were there because of divorce.
“Women’s sentences were longer than men’s,” she said. These accounts highlight the severity of conditions in the camps, and reinforce the gender inequality present in punishment.
North Korean government's efforts to reduce divorces
In addition to the new punitive policy, the North Korean government has launched educational campaigns aimed at discouraging divorce, with a particular focus on women. Lectures organized by the Socialist Women’s Union of Korea have promoted the idea of a “harmonious family,” while other measures have included publicly humiliating the parents of divorced couples and employees of companies where separation rates are high.
To formalize a divorce in the country, both spouses' consent and government approval are required, which already makes the process more difficult. This bureaucracy, combined with the new penalties, creates a challenging scenario for couples in crisis.
international repercussion
The decision has sparked criticism and concern outside North Korea. Steve Herman, chief national correspondent for Voice of America, highlighted the case in a post on X (formerly Twitter):
"RFA [Radio Free Asia] – The North Koreans say that starting this month all divorced couples will be sent to labor training camps."
Another report came from an anonymous resident of Ryanggang Province, who confirmed the change to RFA Korean:
"Until last year, when a couple divorced, only the person who first filed for divorce was sent to a labor training camp. Starting this month, all divorced couples will be sent."
Demographic and social consequences
Experts warn of the possible impacts of this policy on North Korea's marriage and birth rates.
Currently, the country faces a fertility rate of just 1,78 children per woman, a rate already below the level needed for population replacement.
The reduction in the number of marriages could further aggravate the demographic situation, leaving Pyongyang in a vulnerable position.
This trend contrasts with efforts by other countries in the region to increase their birth rates, such as South Korea and Japan.
The future of this repressive policy will depend on the population's response and the possible adaptations made by the North Korean regime.
However, the restrictions have already put divorced couples in an even more precarious position, as the international community continues to press for more information about conditions in labor camps and the implications of this new measure.
