Human Trafficking in [North Korea] [other countries]
Street Children in [North Korea] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [North Korea] [other countries]
 

Child Prostitution

The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

(North Korea) [ Country-by-Country Reports ]

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) [map] is located in SE Asia, with China to its north and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) to its south. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. North Korea faces desperate economic conditions. Industrial capital stock is nearly beyond repair as a result of years of under investment and spare-parts shortages. Industrial and power output have declined in parallel. The nation has suffered its eleventh year of food shortages because of a lack of arable land, collective farming, weather-related problems, and chronic shortages of fertilizer and fuel. Massive international food aid deliveries have allowed the regime to escape mass starvation since 1995, but the population remains the victim of prolonged malnutrition and deteriorating living conditions.

CAUTION:  The following links and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in North Korea. Some of these links may lead to websites that present allegations that are unsubstantiated, misleading or even false. No attempt has been made to validate their authenticity or to verify their content.

ECPAT – On-line form for reporting child prostitution and other sexual offences against children

Quick Search for Missing Children - Select Gender, Country (North Korea) & Years Missing

National Plan of Action

Bur of Democracy, Human Rights & Labor - Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005

TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS - There were no known laws specifically addressing the problem of trafficking in persons, and trafficking of women and young girls into and within China continued to be widely reported. Some women and girls were sold by their families or by kidnappers as wives or concubines to men in China; others fled of their own volition to escape starvation and deprivation. A network of smugglers reportedly facilitated this trafficking. According to defector reports, many victims of trafficking, unable to speak Chinese, were held as virtual prisoners, and some were forced to work as prostitutes.

Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 2004

[62] The Committee notes the lack of information in the State party report on human trafficking, in particular, involving children.

[63] In the light of article 34 and other related articles of the Convention, the Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Undertake a comprehensive study to assess the nature and the extent of human trafficking, in particular involving children; (b) Ensure the protection from sexual exploitation and trafficking in relevant legislation to all boys and girls below the age of 18 years; and (c) Pursue efforts to combat sexual exploitation in accordance with the 1996 Declaration and Agenda for Action and the 2001 Global Commitment adopted at the World Congresses against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.

[66] The Committee recommends that the State party ratify the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and on the involvement of children in armed conflict.

ECPAT: Fifth Report on implementation of the Agenda for Action [DOC]

[B] COUNTRY UPDATES – DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF KOREA – The US Department of State’s Human Rights Report 2000 states that there are reports of young girls being trafficked to China. A network of smugglers reportedly facilitates this trafficking. Many victims are unable to speak Chinese, are held virtual prisoners, and end up working as prostitutes.

Crisis In Korea; Pyongyang's 'Paradise'

At least one-fourth of a million North Koreans have managed to flee to the northeast across the Yalu River, Korea's ancient frontier with neighboring China. And they now live in conditions of extreme privation, uncertainty, destitution and no security in the northeastern Chinese province of Manchuria. Child labor and child prostitution are extremely common for these North Korean refugees, the intelligence sources said.

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Human Trafficking in [North Korea] [other countries]
Street Children in [North Korea] [other countries]
Child Prostitution in [North Korea] [other countries]