Kim Jong Un's Bizarre International Women's Day Address Sparks Outrage
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un delivered a highly contradictory and bizarre speech on International Women's Day, describing women as physically weak with plain faces while simultaneously praising them as the strong pillars of the revolution. According to the state-owned Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim expressed special thanks to all Korean women for their unusual and unknown efforts during the event held at Pyongyang Gymnasium.
Contradictory Praise and Criticism
Our contemporary women have become a solid buttress of the revolution, Kim declared during his address. Though physically weak, they are obviously strong-willed, their plain faces assuming courage and the wrinkles on them denoting their strenuous exertion, he added in remarks that have drawn international criticism. The North Korean leader went on to say proudly that all Korean women who are dear to us mothers, wives, daughters and girlfriends are really beautiful and great, as compared with women in other countries.
Kim further elaborated that Korean women, who have remained honest in times of difficulties, stout-hearted in moments of sorrow and courageous even in the face of death, have recorded remarkable exploits in the annals of the revolution and in the pages of history. These exploits still remain in our memory, serving as our strong spiritual mainstay, he told the assembled crowd. According to KCNA, Kim received enthusiastic applause following his contradictory remarks.
Family Presence at the Event
During the event marking International Women's Day, Kim's wife Ri Sol Ju and daughter Ju Ae were seen accompanying the North Korean leader. The daughter, widely touted to be the successor to Kim Jong Un, was photographed holding her father's hand during the proceedings. This public appearance reinforced speculation about the potential future leadership of North Korea while highlighting the regime's carefully curated public image.
Human Rights Groups Condemn North Korean Reality
According to Human Rights Watch, despite claims by officials in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea that gender equality has been achieved, North Korean women and girls are subject to intense and pervasive human rights abuses, including sexual and gender-based violence, widespread discrimination, and enforcement of rigid gender stereotypes. The global rights group emphasised that deeply patriarchal norms limit women's roles in North Korea largely to domestic responsibilities and low-level economic activity.
Women remain severely under-represented in senior political and military leadership positions despite some superficial progress, the organisation noted. The number of women in the Central Committee has doubled between 2016 and 2019, with increased visibility in state-run media of female officials like Kim Yo Jong, Kim Kyong Hui, and Choe Son Hui. However, the increased involvement of women in leadership does not appear to have resulted in meaningful policy changes, Human Rights Watch stated in their 2022 assessment.
The rights group further explained that North Korean women continue to face systematic discrimination that contradicts the regime's public pronouncements about gender equality. This disparity between official rhetoric and lived reality highlights the profound challenges facing women in one of the world's most closed societies, where international scrutiny remains limited and internal dissent is severely punished.
