Women leading the charge in North Korea’s private economy
In North Korea only married women have the “right to be unemployed”. The idea was to recognise caring responsibilities in their family, but in practice the law allows them the free time to engage in market activity. While officially there’s no private economy, the reality inside the hermit nation is different – and women are leading the charge. Driven by a devalued North Korean Won, women are setting up food and goods markets in an attempt to earn US dollars and Chinese RMB, as their husband’s wages are worth little. Government officials turn a blind eye, allowing them to earn money which is changing their lives and their relationships. But they have a long way to go before catching up with women from the neighbouring South.
Story features: Professor SeokHyang Kim, Professor of North Korean Studies, Ewha Womans University, Seoul
