An increasing number of young North Koreans are choosing to live together before marriage, despite this being prohibited behavior that carries legal consequences, Daily NK has learned.
“Young people today prefer cohabiting over getting married, even when their parents arrange matches. The regime considers cohabitation non-socialist behavior and monitors for it during nighttime home inspections,” a source in Ryanggang province told Daily NK recently.
The source described a recent incident where a woman in her 20s, surnamed Park, and her boyfriend were caught during a random nighttime inspection in Hyesan on Nov. 24. The couple had been sharing a house near the Hyesan Textile Factory.
During the inspection, a police officer accompanying the inminban (neighborhood watch unit) leader checked Park’s resident registration card and discovered she was listed as unmarried. The officer immediately took issue with her living arrangement.
When Park explained that marriage was imminent, the officer countered that premarital cohabitation was non-socialist behavior, adding that her failure to recognize this was itself problematic. The officer confiscated her registration card and ordered her to report to the police station the following day.
The inminban leader then quietly suggested to Park that money could resolve the situation. Park agreed to meet with the police officer separately, who later promised to overlook the incident for 1.5 million North Korean won.
“That’s enough to buy more than 150 kilograms of rice, but young people today think paying such bribes is preferable to rushing into marriage,” the source said.
North Korean youth increasingly view cohabitation as a way to evaluate compatibility before marriage, particularly given the regime’s strict limitations on divorce, which can result in 3-6 months at a labor camp.
“Living together while dating has become expected, even for couples introduced by parents. Marriage timing is now seen as the couple’s decision. Cohabitation has become a natural way to get to know each other better, and traditional age-based marriage pressures are fading,” the source explained.
“Though the regime considers cohabitation non-socialist and may impose labor camp sentences, young people increasingly prioritize personal choice in relationships,” the source added.
Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.
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December 10, 2024 at 01:00PM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)