Trafficking North Korean women into China for forced marriage: Evidence from court judgments

Trafficking in women for forced marriage is a serious violation of women’s rights and a pervasive concern globally. However, empirical studies about trafficking North Korean women for forced marriage in China based on Chinese official documents have generally remained overlooked. Drawing on a sample of 66 court documents involving 222 traffickers and 192 buyers from 2012 to 2020, this study contributes to the trafficking literature by providing an in-depth analysis of the trafficking of North Korean women for forced marriage in China. Content analysis is used to explore (a) the identity characteristics and motivations of traffickers, buyers, and victims, (b) the trafficking procedure, and (c) the division of labor among traffickers and patterns of penalties imposed on the traffickers. Findings suggest that both traffickers and buyers are mainly with low education, without stable employment, and geographically concentrated in Northeastern China. The trafficking process can be divided into recruitment, border crossing, transportation, matchmaking, transfer, and transaction. The implications for research and policy are discussed.