Gay rights in north korea
North Korea travel advice
On this page
Risk level
NORTH KOREA - Elude ALL TRAVEL
Avoid all travel to North Korea due to the risk of arbitrary detention and the uncertain security situation caused by its nuclear weapons progress program and highly repressive regime.
There is no resident Canadian government office in North Korea. Sweden is Canada’s protecting power in North Korea. The ability of Canadian officials to provide consular assistance in North Korea is extremely limited.
Back to top
Safety and security
North Korea’s borders hold been closed to travellers from most countries since
Entering North Korea could be extremely hard. If you choose to tour to North Korea despite the advisory in place, register with the Embassy of Canada to the Republic of Korea, in Seoul, and the Embassy of Sweden to North Korea, in Pyongyang.
Safety information
If you are detained, particularly outside of Pyongyang, Canadian and Swedish officials may not be able to provide consular assistance. The North Korean government exercises strict contr
Adamczyk, Amy, and Yen-hsin Alice, Cheng. Explaining Attitudes About Homosexuality in Confucian and Non-Confucian Nations: Is There a Cultural Influence?. Social Science Research, vol. – DOI:
Arnold, Matthew David. Queer Korea: Identity, Tradition, and Activism. Master of Arts Dissertation. Duke University. %20Korea%20Final%?sequence=3
Berry, Chris, and Martin, Fran. Syncretism and Synchronicity: Queer’n’Asian Cyberspace in s Taiwan and Korea. In: Mobile Cultures: New Media in Queer Asia, ed. Chris Berry, 87– Durham: Duke University Press. DOI:
Bicker, Laura. Homosexual in South Korea: ‚She said I don’t need a son like you’. BBC. (Accessed 25 Jan. ).
Chen, Pei Jean. Problematizing love: the intimate event and gay love in colonial Korea. In: Homosexual Korea, ed. Todd A. Henry, – Durham: Duke University Press. DOI:
Cho, John (Song Pae). The three faces of South Korea’s male homosexuality: pogal, iban, and neoliberal gay. In: Gender non-conforming Korea, ed. Todd A. Henry, – Durham: Duke University Press. DOI:
Chung, Edward Y.J. Korean Confucianism: Tradition and Modernity. Seoul: The Academy o
North Korea’s ‘only openly queer defector’ finds love
BBC Korean
Jang Yeong-jin had never found women attractive. But it wasn't until his wedding darkness, aged 27, that this made his life complex.
Jang felt intensely uncomfortable. "I couldn't lay a finger on my wife," he recalls. Although the couple did eventually consummate their marriage, sex was rare. Four years later - his wife still not pregnant - one of Jang's brothers began to quiz him. Jang admitted he had never been aroused by the opposite sex, and his brother promptly sent him to a doctor.
"I went to so many hospitals in North Korea because we thought that I had some sort of physical problem."
It never occurred to Jang, or his family, that there could be another reason for his lack of interest.
Medical tests
"There is no concept of homosexuality in North Korea," he says. If someone is seen running to greet another same sex friend, it's assumed that's just because they possess such a close friendship. In fact adult
Democratic People&#;s Republic of Korea
There appear to be no laws penalizing consensual same-sex sexual acts between adults in North Korea’s Criminal Code of , which was updated in Nonetheless, Article prohibits the import, keeping, and distribution of “decadent culture,” including “sexual video recordings.” Additionally, Article prohibits collective engagement in “obscene activities.” In , the state-run Korean Central News Agency denied the existence of consensual same-sex sexual outing in the country. On the contrary, an openly gay North Korean defector was covered by the international media after he published his autobiography in There has been no information available on articulate or non-state violence targeting LGBTIQ persons. An unconfirmed report by Free North Korea Radio claimed that in September , North Korea executed a woman-loving woman couple for supposedly creature influenced by capitalism and bringing corruption of general morals.
Freedom of assembly is not recognized. Participants in unauthorized gatherings are subject to severe punishment, including imprisonment. Given the lock