North Korea is infamous for its extreme authoritarianism, brutal prison camps, and total control over its people’s lives. But within this repressive system, women often suffer uniquely horrific punishments, especially for "crimes" that are considered minor or non-existent in the rest of the world. From forced labor to sexual abuse, here are 15 of the worst punishments North Korean women have faced—harsh, dehumanizing, and in many cases, designed to break them completely.
1. Forced Abortions
Pregnant women—especially those repatriated from China—are often subjected to forced abortions in labor camps. Guards fear mixed-race babies and see pregnancies without state approval as political threats.
2. Public Executions
Women have been publicly executed for minor offenses like watching South Korean dramas or distributing foreign media. Entire villages, including children, are sometimes forced to watch as a warning.
3. Sexual Slavery by Guards
In prison camps, female detainees are often raped by male guards without consequence. Some women are kept as unofficial sex slaves; if they become pregnant, they’re often beaten or forced to abort.
4. Starvation and Malnutrition
Female prisoners are given tiny, rotten food portions, often not enough to survive. Many suffer from extreme malnutrition, hair loss, or death from starvation while still being forced to work long hours.
5. Beatings with Metal Rods
Women accused of disobedience are routinely beaten with rods, rifle butts, or rubber clubs. Beatings can break bones, cause internal bleeding, or leave permanent disability. There’s no medical care afterward.
6. Forced Labor While Pregnant
Pregnancy does not exempt women from labor. Pregnant prisoners are forced to work in mines or fields, carry heavy loads, and endure brutal conditions. Miscarriages are common—and ignored.
7. Execution for Religious Faith
Christianity is outlawed, and women caught worshipping or praying are tortured or executed. One woman was reportedly hanged for distributing Bibles, and others have been shot for attending underground churches.
8. Strip Searches and Cavity Inspections
Border guards often conduct invasive body searches, forcing women to strip and squat while being probed for hidden money or contraband. These searches are humiliating and sometimes done in groups.
9. Forced Repatriation Torture
Women who flee to China and are caught are returned and treated as traitors. Upon return, they are imprisoned, beaten, tortured, and labeled "ideologically impure." Many do not survive re-entry camps.