Government crackdown makes smoking a drag for women
Despite North Korea's cultural norm where men smoking is common and women smoking is frowned upon, more women are starting to smoke publicly.
As per 2020 data, 46.1% of North Korean men reported smoking, compared to no women. However, with growing stress, particularly due to economic issues, women are increasingly smoking publicly.
This new trend has resulted in authorities enforcing anti-public-smoking laws more strictly towards women, while men continue to ignore them with minimal repercussions. This has been criticised as hypocritical given that the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, a chain smoker, is often seen smoking in public. Authorities have started monitoring places like restaurants and markets to curb female smokers.
The public smoking of women is seen by some as a rebellion against oppressive societal norms and a sign of women's modernity and independence.
[Source: RFA]
