North Korea — Gay-Reiseindex 2026

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

8/100

Hohes Risiko #196 of 207

Punktzahl = Recht 8/60 + Szene 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.

Rechtliche Sicherheit · Legal milestones · Die Szene vor Ort · Häufige Fragen

⚠ Kriminalisiert

Gleichgeschlechtliche Beziehungen sind hier strafbar oder werden aktiv unterdrückt. Prüfe vor jeder Reise die Reisehinweise deiner Regierung; diese Seite dient nur der Information und ist keine Reiseempfehlung.

Rechtliche Sicherheit — 8/60 Punkte

Kriminalisierung	No open life possible
Partnerschaft	● Nein not recognised
Antidiskriminierung	● Nein
Geschlechtsanerkennung	Not possible — no legal gender recognition
Praxis der Durchsetzung	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 ↗.

Die Szene vor Ort — 0/40 Punkte

Gelistete LGBTQ+-Locations

Gay-Bars

Gay-Saunen

Städte mit Szene

Pride-Paraden

Queere Filmfestivals

Detailed scene metrics (for researchers)

Gay-Bars pro Million	—
Saunen pro Million	—
Events pro Million	0
Abdeckungsgrad	—
Szene-Punktzahl	0/40 (Roh-Szeneindex 0/100)

Häufige Fragen

Ist North Korea sicher für schwule Reisende?

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.

Ist die gleichgeschlechtliche Ehe in North Korea legal?

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

Gibt es in North Korea eine Gay-Szene?

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