North Korea

Demographics

Estimated Total Population:

25.55 million

World Bank, 2018

Estimated SGM Population:

N/A

N/A

Estimated Total SGM Adult Population:

N/A

N/A

Estimated % of SGM Adults (18+):

N/A

N/A

Same-sex relations are de jure legal in North Korea; however, homosexuality and being openly transgender are illegal through decency and obscenity laws. Due to heavy emphasis on mandatory military service, same-sex relationships during service is known as situational homosexuality rather than as a “sexual-orientation.”

North Korea's Laws and Policies from ILGA World Report (2019)

RECOGNITION
Marriage for Same-Sex Couples
No
Civil Unions
No
Joint Adoption
No
Second Parent Adoption
No
PROTECTION
Employment Nondiscrimination Laws
No
Broad Protections
No
Criminalization of Violence
No
Ban of Conversion Therapy
No
CRIMINALIZATION
Consensual Same-Sex Acts are Legal?
Yes
Gender
N/A
Max Penalty (Yrs in Prison)
N/A

Selected Published Studies, Reports, and Other Documents

We found no explicit research articles concerning North Korea and SGM Rights. The only articles found speak about the geopolitical conflicts between South and North Korea as well as South Korean articles that mention North Korea.