Women's Rights in the DPRK: Discrepancies Between International and Domestic Legal Instruments in Promoting Women's Rights and the Reality Reflected by North Korean Defectors

摘要

North Korean women are commonly referred to as "flowers" in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea). Despite this delicate imagery, in reality, women are easily exploited for their labor and are not regarded to be as equal to man. Confucian ideology is still a big influence in North Korea and the traditional perception of gender that emphasizes male superiority can be seen in every part of society. Although there have been a series of legal measures adopted by the DPRK to advance women's rights, there are still few positive changes that have been made.