North Korea — Gay Travel Index 2026

Name: North Korea — Gay Travel Index 2026
Creator: GayOut
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

8/100

High risk #196 of 207

Score = Legal 8/60 + Scene 0/40 = 8/100 · thin scene coverage — legal-weighted provisional score

Updated 15 Oct 2026 · release 2026.3.

A live score, not an annual report — it recomputes as laws, rulings and the scene itself change. See what moved in 2026.

Legal composite · Legal milestones · Scene on the ground · Frequently asked questions

⚠ Criminalized

Same-sex intimacy is criminalized or actively repressed here. Consult your government travel advisories before any trip; this listing is informational, not an endorsement of travel.

Legal composite — 8/60 points

Criminalization	No open life possible
Partnership	● No not recognised
Anti-discrimination	● No
Gender recognition	Not possible — no legal gender recognition
Enforcement reality	Severe — systematic state persecution (est)

Research note: No statute, but state denies LGBTQ+ existence; total surveillance state — no open life possible (est) — GayOut Index 2026.3 legal research (ILGA World / Human Dignity Trust / Rainbow Europe / Equaldex).

Legal composite, five components

Fulfilment per component (100 = maximum). Weights: criminalisation 35% · partnership 20% · enforcement 20% · anti-discrimination 15% · gender recognition 10%.

Legal milestones

Background, not travel advice — how the current status came to be. For planning a trip, rely on the current score, tier and scene sections above; 2026 movements are tracked in the sourced change log.

1950The criminal code contained no explicit ban on same-sex activity, though vague articles against decadent culture and obscene acts could be applied broadly. ↗
2014State media denied that same-sex sexual activity existed in the country at all, framing homosexuality as Western decadence. ↗
2023A South Korean government report documented defector testimony alleging a male detainee was secretly executed for homosexuality in 2014. ↗
TodayNo statute banned homosexuality outright, but total state denial, zero legal protections and reports of extrajudicial punishment made open LGBTQ life impossible. ↗

Sources: ILGA World · Human Dignity Trust · Equaldex. Each milestone links to a reference source ↗.

Scene on the ground — 0/40 points

LGBTQ+ venues listed

Dedicated gay bars

Gay saunas

Cities with a scene

Pride parades

Queer film festivals

Detailed scene metrics (for researchers)

Gay bars per million	—
Saunas per million	—
Events per million	0
Coverage grade	—
Scene score	0/40 (raw scene index 0/100)

Frequently asked questions

Is North Korea safe for gay travellers?

North Korea is rated High risk on the GayOut Gay Travel Index 2026: same-sex intimacy is criminalized or actively repressed. Its legal safety component is 8/60. On enforcement reality, systematic state persecution is documented.

Is same-sex marriage legal in North Korea?

No. Same-sex marriage is not legal in North Korea. Overall legal status: No open life possible.

Does North Korea have a gay scene?

GayOut currently lists no LGBTQ+ venues in North Korea, so any gay scene is limited, informal or not publicly documented.