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Pornography in North Korea

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North Korea forbids the possession, production, distribution and importation of pornography. This is punished harshly by the government. Nevertheless, pornography is widespread in the country because people secretly import it, or locally produce it.

The possession of it first became popular amongst elites during the late 1990s, when Kim Jong Il was the leader of the country. High ranking political and military officials were the most active consumers of pornography.[citation needed] Today, pornography is sold openly on the China–North Korea border despite the government's attempts to curtail circulation. Most of the content consumed in North Korea is produced outside the country, with a significant part of it being Chinese bootleg recordings of poor quality. A locally produced pornographic film typically involves nude or scantily clad women dancing to music.

Habits

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Sexuality is restricted in the conservative North Korean culture. Some defectors say that the lack of sex education in the country results in young people learning about sex through pornography, and also that adults watch less pornography than young people. Showing an interest in pornography may make one subject to the country's mass surveillance network.[1]

Pornographic magazines and films sold at black markets are distributed as CDs called "Sex-R" (sex CD-R) and are arranged by video quality, which is mostly poor due to most of them being cheap bootleg recordings from China. Markets and distribution methods continue to develop.[1] Unauthorized sale of pornography takes place, for instance, at the Tongil Market of Pyongyang.[2] On the China–North Korea border pornography is traded in the open.[3] Exposure to Chinese pornography has also increased the number of abortions.[4]

In the past, pornographic videos were also made in North Korea.[1] They began to appear during the leadership of Kim Jong Il,[3] who himself reportedly had a significant collection of pornographic films.[5] Domestic titles were usually immediately seized by the authorities. One domestic title, The Secret Story of the Republic, however, was smuggled to Japan and translated into Japanese by North Korean defectors.[3] The film, featuring Workers' Party of Korea officials violating women, was sold in Japan, where it came with a written disclaimer: "Not for entertainment purposes. Distributed for research".[1] North Korea has also exported pornography in an effort to gain hard currency. Some of these efforts were through North Korean websites.[6]

Watching pornography became widespread among the country's elites in the late 1990s. Thereafter, the practice has spread to other societal strata as well. Domestic pornographic works usually feature nude or bikini-wearing North Korean women dancing to music. The Literature and Art Publishing Company secretly published a pornographic book, Licentious Stories, for the use of party officials. In 2000, the Korean Central Broadcasting Committee also published a pornographic videotape for officials. Imported pornography has nowadays largely replaced domestic pornography. Political and army elites are the most active consumers of pornography. In 2007 renting a CD for one hour cost 2,000 North Korean won, and middle-schoolers were known to rent them.[7] In 1995, a pornographic film could be sold for as much as 80 dollars. In recent years, prices have fallen dramatically due to increased supply,[8] with one Chinese smuggler stating he regularly hands out porn for free for customers who buy pirated K-dramas.[9]

South Korean pornographic films are smuggled into the country.[10] Propaganda balloons sent from South Korea to the North have featured sexually explicit material to appeal to North Korean soldiers, too.[11] Henry A. Crumpton, a veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency's Directorate of Operations, explains that he has "never met a North Korean diplomat who did not want porn, either for personal use or resale."[12]

When North Korea sent troops to fight alongside the Russians against Ukraine in October 2024, it was reported that the Koreans were taking advantage of the superior internet service away from home by "gorging on pornography".[13]

Law

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According to the Criminal Law of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea:

A person who, without authorization, imports, makes, distributes or illegally keeps music, dance, drawings, photos, books, video recordings or electronic media that reflects decadent, carnal or foul contents shall be punished by short term labour for less than two years. In cases where the person commits a grave offence, he or she shall be punished by reform through labour for less than five years. In cases where such a person imports, keeps or distributes sexual video recordings, the punishment shall be reform through labour for more than five years and less than ten years.

— Article 193 (Import, Keeping and Distribution of Decadent Culture), Chapter 6 (Crimes of Impairing Socialist Culture)[14]

The law specifies that viewing such material is also illegal:[15]

A person who watches or listens to music, dance, drawings, photos, books, video recordings or electronic media that reflects decadent, carnal or foul contents or who performs such acts himself or herself shall be punished by short term labour for less than two years. In cases where the person commits a grave offence, he or she shall be punished by reform through labour for less than five years.

— Article 194 (Conduct of Decadent Acts)[14]

The State Security Department is tasked with monitoring illegal imports of pornographic materials. Involvement in illegal import results in the culprit being shot or sent to a kyohwaso (re-education camp) for 10 to 15 years.[16] Executions of several persons accused of watching or distributing pornography took place in late 2013.[17] It is illegal for tourists to bring pornography into the country.[citation needed] Access to "sex and adult websites" on the Internet has been blocked from the country,[18] but in the past BitTorrent downloads of pornography have been detected, likely relating to foreigners residing in Pyongyang.[19] Likewise, North Koreans living near the border with China use mobile phones equipped with Chinese SIM cards to access Chinese porn sites.[20]

When Kim Jong Un's uncle Jang Song-thaek was executed in 2013, distributing pornography was counted among his crimes.[21]

North Korea has ratified the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography of the Convention on the Rights of the Child,[22] but has enacted no legislation specific to child pornography.[23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Shin, Junsik (13 April 2015). "Pornography in North Korea". New Focus International. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  2. ^ Hokkanen 2013, p. 207.
  3. ^ a b c Schwartzman, Nathan (27 November 2009). "Is There Porn in North Korea?". Asian Correspondent. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  4. ^ Hokkanen 2013, pp. 231–232.
  5. ^ Feinberg, Scott (18 December 2014). "Sony Hack: Father of North Korean Leader Was Obsessed With Hollywood Movies". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  6. ^ Hokkanen 2013, p. 235.
  7. ^ Moon Sung Hwee (23 December 2007). "Porno Became Widespread in '90s, Thanks to the Dear Leader". Daily NK. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  8. ^ Hokkanen 2013, p. 234.
  9. ^ Hokkanen 2013, pp. 234–235.
  10. ^ "Fertilizer shortage forces North Korea to sell human feces". National Post. Agence France-Presse. 29 December 2010. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  11. ^ Jung, Jin-Heon (2014). "Ballooning Evangelism: Psychological Warfare and Christianity in the Divided Korea" (PDF). Max Planck Institute. MMG Working Paper. p. 18. ISSN 2192-2357. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  12. ^ Crumpton, Henry A. (2012). The Art of Intelligence: Lessons from a Life in the CIA's Clandestine Service. New York: Penguin Publishing Group. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-101-57222-1.
  13. ^ Hagan, Rachel (7 November 2024). "Pentagon responds to claims North Korean troops in Russia 'gorging on pornography'". The Independent.
  14. ^ a b "Criminal Law of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea" (PDF). Translated by Sang hyup Lee; Hyeong Su Park; Kyung Eun Ha; Simpson Bell, Markus; Lee, Lilian; Wolman, Andrew. Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  15. ^ Hassig, Ralph; Kongdan Oh (2015). The Hidden People of North Korea: Everyday Life in the Hermit Kingdom (2nd ed.). Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 106. ISBN 978-1-4422-3719-3.
  16. ^ United Nations Human Rights Council Session 25 Report of the detailed findings of the commission of inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea A/HRC/25/CRP.1 page 60, §216. 7 February 2014.
  17. ^ United Nations Human Rights Council Session 25 Report of the detailed findings of the commission of inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea A/HRC/25/CRP.1 page 61, §218. 7 February 2014.
  18. ^ Talmadge, Eric (1 April 2016). "North Korea now blocking Facebook, Twitter, other websites". The Big Story. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  19. ^ Hotham, Oliver (15 August 2014). "Popular downloads in N. Korea include Top Gear, porn". NK News. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  20. ^ Hokkanen 2013, pp. 23–24.
  21. ^ Saul, Heather (13 December 2013). "Jang Song Thaek profile: The rise, fall and execution of Kim Jong Un's powerful uncle". The Independent. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  22. ^ "North Korea: Events of 2015". North Korea. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2016. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  23. ^ Child Pornography: Model Legislation & Global Review (PDF) (8th ed.). International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children. 2016. p. 34. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.

Sources

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  • Hokkanen, Jouni (2013). Pohjois-Korea: Siperiasta itään [North Korea: East of Siberia] (in Finnish). Helsinki: Johnny Kniga. ISBN 978-951-0-39946-0.
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