By Rachel Lee
An increasing number of married women in North Korea are reportedly looking for rich men for a living.
North Korean defector-led media New Focus reported Thursday that adultery is not a crime in the North, and such acts of cheating are arranged under mutual consent of wives and husbands. But when those who commit adultery cause any sort of harm to people around them, they are charged with disorderly conduct.
"It has become common for women in North Korea to cheat on their spouses," North Korean defector Kim Hyun-sook said. "More and more married women make that choice for their family due to the threat of poverty."
Kim also said that those women approach rich men on purpose, and their husbands overlook such behavior and tell their spouses instead to take charge of their family finances. Some even encourage their wives to go out and meet rich men, and some even arrange a meeting with them through a third party to pull themselves out of poverty.
"This is not acceptable in South Korea, but many women in the North have no other choice for their livelihood," she said. "The North Korean government should take the blame for this."
North Korean defector Jung Nam-hyuk said: "People in North Korea say that if you are divorced, you are guilty, but those who cheat are innocent."
"Since there still exists a negative perception towards divorced women in the society so even when housewives find out that their husband was having an affair with someone, most of them would just ignore it because they don't want a divorce."
Some women will meet those women having an affair with their husbands to make it clear that cheating can be acceptable but divorce and remarriage is not allowed under any circumstances, Jung said.
"While housewives commit adultery to make money, men take advantage of the situation in that women are afraid of divorce," Kim said. "More people commit arranged adultery and the North's law on disorderly conduct does nothing in these cases."
In South Korea, the Constitutional Court struck down a 62-year-old statute outlawing adultery last year, under which violators faced up to two years in prison.
An increasing number of married women in North Korea are reportedly looking for rich men for a living.
North Korean defector-led media New Focus reported Thursday that adultery is not a crime in the North, and such acts of cheating are arranged under mutual consent of wives and husbands. But when those who commit adultery cause any sort of harm to people around them, they are charged with disorderly conduct.
"It has become common for women in North Korea to cheat on their spouses," North Korean defector Kim Hyun-sook said. "More and more married women make that choice for their family due to the threat of poverty."
Kim also said that those women approach rich men on purpose, and their husbands overlook such behavior and tell their spouses instead to take charge of their family finances. Some even encourage their wives to go out and meet rich men, and some even arrange a meeting with them through a third party to pull themselves out of poverty.
"This is not acceptable in South Korea, but many women in the North have no other choice for their livelihood," she said. "The North Korean government should take the blame for this."
North Korean defector Jung Nam-hyuk said: "People in North Korea say that if you are divorced, you are guilty, but those who cheat are innocent."
"Since there still exists a negative perception towards divorced women in the society so even when housewives find out that their husband was having an affair with someone, most of them would just ignore it because they don't want a divorce."
Some women will meet those women having an affair with their husbands to make it clear that cheating can be acceptable but divorce and remarriage is not allowed under any circumstances, Jung said.
"While housewives commit adultery to make money, men take advantage of the situation in that women are afraid of divorce," Kim said. "More people commit arranged adultery and the North's law on disorderly conduct does nothing in these cases."
In South Korea, the Constitutional Court struck down a 62-year-old statute outlawing adultery last year, under which violators faced up to two years in prison.
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