Prostitution Prostitution laws in North Korea조선민주주의인민공화국
North Korea prohibits prostitution. In its 2016 report to the UN women's rights committee, the government stated that the Criminal Law "defines prostitution as a crime", with reform through labour of up to five years in serious cases (Article 249 in the version then in force), and that the Law on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Women (Article 40) subjects anyone who commits prostitution or arranges, forces or lures a woman into it to punishment under the Criminal Law. The 2008 text of the Administrative Penalties Law (Article 160) punishes anyone who engages in prostitution or encourages it with up to three months of labour education, more in serious cases. Both laws have been amended since these texts, and current article numbers and penalties could not be checked. No provision aimed specifically at buyers was found.
Legal model
Selling and buying prohibited. Selling sex is an offence (criminal or administrative), whether or not buying is.
Prostitution (매음) is both a crime under the Criminal Law and an administrative violation under the Administrative Penalties Law, punished with "labour education" or, under the Criminal Law, "reform through labour". Arranging, forcing or luring women into prostitution is also punishable. Current legal texts are not officially published in full, so this classification rests on a 2008 text of the Administrative Penalties Law and the government's own 2016 report to the UN.[1][2]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | Prostitution is an administrative violation punished with up to three months of labour education (more in serious cases) and, according to the government, a crime punishable in serious cases by up to five years of reform through labour.[1][2] |
| Buying sexual services | Illegal | No provision aimed specifically at people who buy sex was found. The offences in the texts checked are framed around "prostitution acts" (매음행위) and encouraging them, and the government's report describes prostitution as a crime without distinguishing the parties. Whether and how buyers are punished could not be established.[1][2] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | No venue-specific provision was found, but arranging, forcing or luring women into prostitution is punishable under the Criminal Law according to the Women's Rights Law, and encouraging prostitution is an administrative violation punished with labour education.[1][2] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Under Article 40 of the Law on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Women, anyone who arranges for, forces or lures a woman into prostitution is punished under the Criminal Law. The government told the UN that people who arranged or forced prostitution were put on public trials and given heavy sentences.[2] |
| Advertising sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | No provision specific to advertising sexual services was found. Encouraging prostitution is an administrative violation, and bringing in, making, spreading or possessing material with "degenerate, pornographic and obscene" content is a crime with up to five years of reform through labour, according to the government.[1][2] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Prostitution is an administrative violation punished with up to three months of labour education (more in serious cases) and, according to the government, a crime punishable in serious cases by up to five years of reform through labour.[1][2]
Administrative Penalties Law (2008 text), Article 160 (매음행위): "매음행위를 하였거나 그것을 조장시킨자는 3개월이하의 로동교양을 시킨다. 정상이 무거운 경우에는 3개월이상의 로동교양을 시킨다." (Anyone who has engaged in prostitution or encouraged it is subject to labour education of up to three months; in serious cases, three months or more.) Translation ours. The government's 2016 report to CEDAW cites Criminal Law Article 249 for the criminal offence.
Confidence: low. No current official text could be checked: the Administrative Penalties Law text is the 2008 version held by WIPO Lex, and the Criminal Law article is as described by the government in 2016. Both laws have been amended since, and article numbers may have changed.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
No provision aimed specifically at people who buy sex was found. The offences in the texts checked are framed around "prostitution acts" (매음행위) and encouraging them, and the government's report describes prostitution as a crime without distinguishing the parties. Whether and how buyers are punished could not be established.[1][2]
Confidence: low. The "illegal" status is an assumption from the general prohibition, not from a provision naming buyers. The term 매음 usually refers to selling sex.
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
No venue-specific provision was found, but arranging, forcing or luring women into prostitution is punishable under the Criminal Law according to the Women's Rights Law, and encouraging prostitution is an administrative violation punished with labour education.[1][2]
Confidence: low. Based on the government's description and a 2008 text; current provisions could not be checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Under Article 40 of the Law on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Women, anyone who arranges for, forces or lures a woman into prostitution is punished under the Criminal Law. The government told the UN that people who arranged or forced prostitution were put on public trials and given heavy sentences.[2]
Confidence: low. Statute text not checked; content as reported by the government to CEDAW in 2016.
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
No provision specific to advertising sexual services was found. Encouraging prostitution is an administrative violation, and bringing in, making, spreading or possessing material with "degenerate, pornographic and obscene" content is a crime with up to five years of reform through labour, according to the government.[1][2]
Confidence: low. Applying these provisions to advertising sexual services is an inference; no provision on advertising or online platforms was found.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| 조선민주주의인민공화국 행정처벌법 (2008년 5월 20일 최고인민회의 상임위원회 정령 제2712호로 수정보충) Administrative Penalties Law of the DPRK (text as amended to 20 May 2008) 제160조 | Article 160 punishes prostitution and encouraging it with labour education.[1] |
Timeline
- 14 July 2004Administrative Penalties Law adopted by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly (No. 546); its 2008 text includes the prostitution provision in Article 160.[1]
- 1 June 2016Government report to CEDAW states that the Criminal Law defines prostitution as a crime and cites the Women's Rights Law on arranging, forcing or luring women into prostitution.[2]
Sources
- 조선민주주의인민공화국 행정처벌법 (2008년 5월 20일 최고인민회의 상임위원회 정령 제2712호로 수정보충) (Administrative Penalties Law of the DPRK (as amended by decree No. 2712 of 20 May 2008)). WIPO Lex (World Intellectual Property Organization), 20 May 2008. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Combined second to fourth periodic reports of States parties: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (CEDAW/C/PRK/2-4). UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (report submitted by the DPRK Government), 1 June 2016. intergovernmental · accessed 30 October 2026