North Korea forbids the possession, production, distribution and importation of pornography. This is punished harshly by the government. Nevertheless, pornography is widespread in the country because people secretly import it, or locally produce it.
Today, pornography is sold openly on the China–North Korea border despite the government's attempts to curtail circulation. Most of the content consumed in North Korea is produced outside the country, with a significant part of it being Chinese bootleg recordings of poor quality. A locally produced pornographic film typically involves nude or scantily clad women dancing to music.
Sexuality is restricted in the conservative North Korean culture.
According to the Criminal Law of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea:
A person who, without authorization, imports, makes, distributes or illegally keeps music, dance, drawings, photos, books, video recordings or electronic media that reflects decadent, carnal or foul contents shall be punished by short term labour for less than two years. In cases where the person commits a grave offence, he or she shall be punished by reform through labour for less than five years. In cases where such a person imports, keeps or distributes sexual video recordings, the punishment shall be reform through labour for more than five years and less than ten years.
— Article 193 (Import, Keeping and Distribution of Decadent Culture), Chapter 6 (Crimes of Impairing Socialist Culture)[12]
The law specifies that viewing such material is also illegal:[13]
A person who watches or listens to music, dance, drawings, photos, books, video recordings or electronic media that reflects decadent, carnal or foul contents or who performs such acts himself or herself shall be punished by short term labour for less than two years. In cases where the person commits a grave offence, he or she shall be punished by reform through labour for less than five years.
— Article 194 (Conduct of Decadent Acts)[12]
The State Security Department is tasked with monitoring illegal imports of pornographic materials. Involvement in illegal import results in the culprit being shot or sent to a kyohwaso (re-education camp) for 10 to 15 years.[14] Executions of several persons accused of watching or distributing pornography took place in late 2013.[15] It is illegal for tourists to bring pornography into the country.[citation needed] Access to "sex and adult websites" on the Internet has been blocked from the country,[16] but in the past BitTorrent downloads of pornography have been detected, likely relating to foreigners residing in Pyongyang.[17] Likewise, North Koreans living near the border with China use mobile phones equipped with Chinese SIM cards to access Chinese porn sites.[18]
When Kim Jong Un's uncle Jang Song-thaek was executed in 2013, distributing pornography was counted among his crimes.[19]