Kim Jong-un decides to punish divorcing couples!
Personal privacy and decisions in North Korea are at a new low. The dictator leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, 40 has declared that divorce is anti-socialist and breaking couples would be punished.
The new strict divorce laws of Kim Jong-un
The tyrant ruler of North Korea, Kim Jong-un has tightened the laws related to divorce in his country. He has made an announcement that divorce is anti-socialist and is a punishable offense. Therefore, under the new rules laid down, both partners in divorce would be despatched to the labour camps.
According to the new law, both husband and wife would have to serve six months in labour camps. However, women might even get longer sentences.
Earlier law on divorce was also grave though less than the changed law. In the previous law, only the partner who asks for divorce would get the punishment. This was irrespective whether physical abuse and domestic violence was the reason of seeking a divorce or not.
Now, both partners would get the punishment after the court grants them divorce.
Reaction and experience of the North Koreans
Of course, this new rule would be more suffocating for an already suppressed North Korean society. Some residents described what they saw. One resident from Northern Ryanggang province revealed:
“I went to the Kimjongsuk County People’s Court … where 12 people received divorce decrees.”
“Immediately after the verdict, they were transferred to the county labour training camp.”
“Until last year, when a couple divorced, only the person who first filed for divorce was sent to a labor training camp.”
“Starting this month, all divorced couples will be sent to labour training camps.”
Another resident stated:
“My brother also divorced after three years of marriage,”
“His wife first submitted a divorce application to the court and received a divorce ruling. She was sent to a labour camp for six months, while he has to do one month.”
One woman shared her personal experience. She was at the correction center for some time and said:
“There are about 80 women, and 40 men imprisoned in the county labor training camp,”
“About 30 men and women were imprisoned due to divorce decrees, and the women’s sentences were longer.”
The woman also noted that most people at the camp were in the late 30s.
Has divorce rates dropped in North Korea?
In Korea, divorce is considered anti-socialist. It is also believed to be an attack on the Confucian values that are an integral part of the thinking of Korea as a whole, North and South.
According to Radio Free Asia (RFA), due to COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, couples and families faced a lot of financial hardships. This led to friction and fights and divorces. Hence, divorce rates had increased in North Korea at that time. But there is no accurate data on them.
Couples who divorce are threatened with humiliation in public and also removal from the Korean Workers’ Party. But despite these threats, divorce rates in North Korea has not decreased to any significant extent.
This implies that personal happiness is foremost in the lives of people everywhere in the world and no amount of suffocation or punishment can make people give it up.
It is also not clear as to who takes care of the children of the divorcing couples when they are serving their sentences in labour camps.
Short bio on Kim Jong-un
Kim Jong-un is the dictator leader of North Korea. More bio…
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Posted on: Wednesday, August 19 2020
