Prostitution in North Korea is illegal and is not visible to visitors. Allegedly, a collection of women called the ''

kippumjo The ''Kippumjo'' or ''Gippeumjo'' (translated variously as ''Pleasure Group'', ''Pleasure Groups'', ''Pleasure Squad'', or ''Pleasure Brigade'') is a collection of groups of approximately 2,000 women and girls reportedly maintained by t ...

'' provided sexual entertainment to high-ranking officials until 2011. Meanwhile, some North Korean women who migrate to China become involved in prostitution.

Private prostitution

Under Article 261 of the criminal law, prostitution is punishable by up to two years labour if engaged in "multiple times". According to

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...

analyst Helen-Louise Hunter, during the rule of

Kim Il-sung Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...

, there was no organized

prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...

, but some prostitution was still practiced discreetly near railroad stations and restaurants. While defectors currently report widespread prostitution, this is not experienced by visitors to the country.

Kippumjo

The ''kippŭmjo'' is an alleged collection of groups of approximately 2,000 women and girls that was maintained by the

head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

for the purpose of providing pleasure, mostly of a sexual nature, and entertainment for high-ranking

Workers' Party of Korea The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) is the founding and sole ruling party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea. Founded in 1949 from the merger of the Workers' Party of North Korea and the Workers' Party of ...

(WPK) officials and their families, as well as occasionally distinguished guests. Its

prostitutes Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

were known as ''manjokcho'' ( "satisfaction team(s)") and were organised as a part of the ''kippŭmjo'', who were drafted from among 14- to 20-year-old

virgins Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

, trained for about 20 months, and often "ordered to marry guards of Kim Jon-il or national heroes" when they are 25 years old.Intervention Agenda Item 12: Elimination of Violence Against Women (archived copy)
at the

United Nations Commission on Human Rights The United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) was a functional commission within the overall framework of the United Nations from 1946 until it was replaced by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2006. It was a subsidiary body of t ...

in April 2004; speaker: Ji Sun JEONG for ''A Woman's Voice International'' For a girl selected to serve in the ''kippŭmjo'', it was impossible to refuse, even if she was the daughter of a party official. ''Manjokcho'' were obliged to have

sex Sex is the trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing animal or plant produces male or female gametes. Male plants and animals produce smaller mobile gametes (spermatozoa, sperm, pollen), while females produce larger ones (ova, oft ...

with male high-ranking

party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature f ...

officials. Their services were not available to most North Korean men. Not all ''kippŭmjo'' worked as prostitutes; other ''kippŭmjo'' activities were massaging and half-naked singing and dancing. The ''kippŭmjo'' were disbanded shortly after Kim Jong-il's death in 2011.

Sex trafficking

North Korea is a source country for women and children who are subjected to sex trafficking. The

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other n ...

Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons The Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP) is an agency within the United States Department of State charged with investigating and creating programs to prevent human trafficking both within the United States and internation ...

ranks North Korea as a ' Tier 3' country.

Prostitution of North Koreans in China

Some North Korean women who migrate to China become prostitutes, either voluntarily or forcibly. According to the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights, when the women are repatriated to North Korea, they are subjected to

forced abortion A forced abortion may occur when the perpetrator causes abortion by force, threat or coercion, or by taking advantage of a situation where a pregnant individual is unable to give consent, or when valid consent is in question due to duress. This ma ...

and their mixed race children are subject to infanticide.

References

External links

Child exploitation not new to stricken regionIllegal Prostitution Occurring in Massage Parlors and Bathhouses
{{Asia in topic, Prostitution in