Beyond the Panopticon 

As the food shortage in North Korea intensified during the mid-1990s, thenumber of residents illegally crossing the border and settling in China increased. Most of the escapees were women, as women in North Korea are under more lenient surveillance compared to that of men. Men in North Korea are under stricter surveillance as they are expected to work and serve in the military, while women’s expectations are mostly confined to the household. One of the issues that North Korean defectors in China face is human trafficking. Organized human traffickers mainly targets women, but men are also traded as a source of labor in rural areas of China. While most North Korean women are trafficked to Chinathrough deceitful or coercive methods, there are cases where women willingly sell themselves because they lack the brokerage fees to escape. Particularly, ever since Kim Jong-un bolstered cracking down on defections, many have resorted to trafficking themselves out of desperation, believing that it is the only way out of North Korea.

North Korean women, once trafficked into China, are often coerced into prostitution in karaoke bars and entertainment establishments. They are also sold to Chinese men as brides or as mere objects to satisfy sexual needs. North Korean women who have been trafficked into forced marriages live under the watchful eyes of their new husbands, families, and neighbors, and they are made to endure their husbands’ sexual and physical abuse, alcoholism, and gambling. Even if they do manage to escape, it is extremely difficult for North Korean women to support themselves in China. As a result, they often come to the realization that marriage with Chinese men is their only option. Furthermore, North Korean defectors in China are constantly exposed to the threat of forced repatriation to North Korea due to their illegal, alien status. This is the fundamental reason why North Korean defectors cannot help but accept their brutal situation that is human trafficking, domestic abuse, and labor exploitation.