North Korea remains one of the most secretive and oppressive regimes in the world, with women often facing some of the harshest punishments for even the slightest perceived offenses. Under Kim Jong-un’s dictatorship, punishments range from brutal beatings to public executions, creating an atmosphere of constant fear and suffering. Below are 15 of the most horrifying punishments inflicted on women in North Korea.
1. Public Executions
Women accused of crimes such as watching foreign media, engaging in sex work, or attempting to escape the country are sometimes executed in public to serve as warnings to others. These executions are carried out by firing squads, often with crowds, including children, forced to watch.
2. Forced Abortions
Pregnant women repatriated from China are subjected to forced abortions, especially if they are suspected of carrying mixed-race children. Guards have been known to brutally beat pregnant prisoners until they miscarry.
3. Rape and Sexual Abuse in Prisons
Female prisoners, especially defectors, often face rape and sexual abuse at the hands of prison guards. Many are never heard from again after enduring such torture.
4. Torture in Detention Camps
Women accused of political crimes face unspeakable torture in North Korea’s detention centers. Some are locked in tiny cages where they can neither stand nor sit properly for days.
5. Starvation in Labor Camps
Women in forced labor camps are given barely enough food to survive, leading to widespread malnutrition and starvation. Many die from exhaustion while working under extreme conditions.
6. Execution for Watching Foreign Dramas
North Korean authorities consider watching South Korean or Western dramas a major crime. Women caught with foreign media can face execution or life in prison.
7. Forced Marriages
Some women are forcibly married to high-ranking government officials or soldiers. Refusal can lead to imprisonment, torture, or execution.
8. Beatings for Minor Infractions
Women can be publicly beaten for wearing “unapproved” clothing, such as jeans, or for not properly showing reverence to portraits of Kim Jong-un.
9. Slave Labor for Political Crimes
If a woman’s relative commits a political crime, she can be sent to a labor camp for life, often forced to work in dangerous mines or factories.
10. Electrocution in Interrogation
Women suspected of disloyalty to the regime are sometimes subjected to electric shocks during brutal interrogations.
11. Execution for Religious Practices
Women caught practicing Christianity or other banned religions are either executed or sent to labor camps, where they face certain death.