North Korea has started a strict crackdown on women who go for cosmetic surgery, especially breast implants. Kim Jong Un’s government says the procedures are “capitalist” and “against socialism.” According to defectors and South Korean outlet Daily NK, undercover agents, local patrol groups, and public trials are being used to punish both doctors and women involved.
In mid-September, a public trial was held in Sariwon, North Hwanghae Province. A former medical student was accused of carrying out breast implant surgeries using smuggled Chinese silicone. Two women in their 20s, who had gone through the surgery, were also put on trial. Medical equipment, cash, and packets of silicone were displayed as evidence by the Security Bureau. Witnesses said the doctor kept his head down throughout the trial, while the two women looked embarrassed and could not raise their heads. They admitted they wanted the surgery to improve their body shape.
The prosecutor condemned them in front of the crowd, saying: “Women living under socialism have been spoiled by capitalist culture.” The judge added that all three had carried out an “anti-socialist act” and would face harsh punishment.
Reports say the North Korean Security Bureau has also started carrying out physical checks on women suspected of having breast surgery. Local watch leaders now look out for women whose bodies appear changed and send them for inspections. Many young women in Sariwon are said to be living in fear, worried about being accused. In Pyongyang, special undercover strike teams have been deployed to catch doctors secretly performing cosmetic surgery.
“Strike teams are already working in central Pyongyang in plain clothes,” a source told Daily NK. “Anyone caught, either women or doctors, will face criminal punishment, including time in labour training camps, for anti-socialist behaviour.”
Officials claim the crackdown comes after a rise in cosmetic surgeries like breast augmentation and double-eyelid procedures. The Ministry of Social Security said, “Women under socialism are being stained by capitalist ideas and are getting involved in immoral acts.”
Although the surgeries are risky and often done with poor-quality silicone in unsafe conditions, demand is still growing. Many young women are influenced by South Korean beauty standards. Human rights groups say Kim Jong Un’s government is using trials, forced confessions, and the threat of prison to stop women from choosing cosmetic procedures.
