A woman in her 50s was arrested May 15 in North Korea's Kimhyongjik County, Ryanggang Province, on charges of secretly performing abortion procedures. As North Korea grapples with a serious decline in birth rates, abortion is considered an "anti-socialist act" subject to strict crackdowns and legal punishment. But women have compelling reasons they cannot avoid having abortions. A female reporting partner living in Hyesan, Ryanggang Province, reported about this issue in mid-May.(HONG Ma-ri / KANG Ji-won)
◆Illegal Surgery for 15 US Dollar for Pregnancies Up to Two Months
The reporting partner provided the following details about the incident:
"On May 15, a woman in her 50s, a former obstetrics midwife, was arrested for performing abortion procedures. She quietly conducted surgeries at a private home in the outskirts, but was discovered when a patient was rushed to the hospital due to excessive bleeding after surgery."
The arrested woman charged 100 yuan (about 15 USD) for abortions up to two months of pregnancy and 300 yuan for pregnancies up to six months. Considering that general workers at state enterprises earn monthly wages of 35,000-50,000 North Korean won, these are expensive surgical fees. Yet the arrested woman performed up to four surgeries per day, showing the enormous demand for illegal abortion procedures.
※ 10,000 North Korean won is approximately $0.357. (exchange rate as of late May)
The reporting partner said, "Authorities consider abortion a reactionary act and say they will investigate everyone who received surgery and punish them severely without exception. There's even talk that execution by firing squad is possible."
◆Birth Incentives: 5kg of Rice... "How Are We Supposed to Raise Children?" in Response to Weak Birth Promotion Policies
Women should have the right to decide whether to give birth and whether to have an abortion. So why is this considered an "illegal" act?
Since hosting a "Mothers' Congress" in Pyongyang in December 2023, North Korean authorities have actively promoted birth encouragement policies, claiming "it is patriotic for all mothers to give birth to and raise many children." This appears intended to somehow boost birth rates as women increasingly avoid both marriage and childbirth.
Abortion was already subject to strict crackdowns, but enforcement became even more severe after the "Mothers' Congress." The arrested woman mentioned earlier reportedly secretly treated women seeking abortions at her home on the city outskirts because crackdowns were so intense within Hyesan.
The reporting partner expressed anger at government policy:
"Since the 'Mothers' Congress,' the party has created various systems including child support, food support, and diaper support, but how can you raise children with just that? They say the district office gives 5 kilograms of rice and 10 kilograms of corn when you have a baby, but who would decide to have children based on that?"
