North Korean authorities are reportedly imprisoning divorced couples in labor training camps, subjecting them to forced labor, according to a recent report from Radio Free Asia (RFA).
Since 2020, when divorces surged due to deteriorating living conditions from COVID-19 lockdowns, North Korean authorities have taken the unprecedented step of imprisoning divorced couples in labor training camps. They claim this measure addresses the breakdown of families, which they consider the “basic unit of society.”
A source from Yanggang Province told RFA that the policy has become stricter. Last year, only those who filed for divorce were sent to a labor training camp. However, starting this month, both parties in a divorce are being sent to these camps,” the source explained.
Under this system, ordinary citizens who get divorced must now endure forced labor for 1 to 6 months in these facilities. Some sources claim that the spouse who initiates the divorce faces a longer sentence. One individual shared, “My younger brother divorced after three years of marriage. His wife filed first and received the divorce ruling. She was sentenced to six months in the labor training camp, while my brother only got one month.”
This policy reportedly applies even in cases where divorce is due to domestic violence or other faults of one party. A source from South Pyongan Province, who recently completed a three-month sentence in a labor training camp following a divorce, stated, “There were about 30 people imprisoned due to divorce rulings, and women generally had longer sentences. Often, wives file for divorce first because of physical abuse from their husbands, resulting in longer sentences for divorced women compared to men.”
The source added, “If authorities continue to control divorces through imprisonment without addressing livelihood issues, more young people will likely avoid marriage altogether. This will worsen the low birth rate problem, leading to even greater social challenges.”
In February, South Korea’s Ministry of Unification published a report on the economic and social conditions in North Korea. The report noted that while divorce rates are rising due to changing social perceptions, legal barriers still make divorce difficult. It also highlighted the ongoing social stigma faced by divorcees.
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