More North Korean women in Pyongyang are getting behind the wheel, seeking driver’s licenses in what appears to be a quiet rebellion against traditional gender roles and a push for greater personal freedom.
Six members of the Socialist Women’s Union in Pyongyang’s Tongdaewon district recently signed up together for grade 4 civilian driver’s licenses, spending three hours a day in driving lessons despite not owning cars. Their goal? Renting vehicles to celebrate their birthdays in style.
Female students at Kim Il Sung University are also joining the driving boom. Some are learning from parents or friends rather than taking formal classes, sneaking cars to the outskirts of town for secret practice sessions before heading home.
This shift represents more than just a practical skill—it’s a sign that North Korean women are seizing control of their own lives and emerging as independent consumers with real agency.
“In the past, women’s social participation was limited to basic labor, but now we’re seeing them become culture consumers and people who can travel freely,” a Daily NK source in North Korea explained. “Getting a driver’s license is just the beginning of a much bigger social transformation.”
Breaking free from traditional constraints
The trend suggests North Korean women are quietly asserting their human rights in a society that has long restricted their freedoms. Petty regulations like “don’t ride a bicycle wearing a skirt” were once routine, and as recently as 2021, Kim Jong Un reminded women to “support their husbands and dedicate themselves to raising their children as socialist warriors.”
But women learning to drive represents a subtle rejection of these “conformative” expectations. By taking the wheel themselves, they’re claiming fundamental rights—the right to travel, to choose their livelihoods, and to move through the world on their own terms.
“Some wives are getting their licenses before their husbands now, and daughters are teaching their mothers about driving tests,” the source said. “Women are realizing that people who can get around independently make their own money.”
The surge in license applications—more than double compared to last year—coincides with the growth of car rental businesses in Pyongyang’s Hwasong district. The ability to use a car for business or dating has made driving licenses highly coveted.
For young people in Pyongyang, a driver’s license has become a rite of passage. The desire to drive rather than be driven has created an 18-month waiting list for driving tests.
“A driver’s license isn’t just a certificate anymore—it’s a symbol for young people who want to own their lives,” the source observed. “The fact that even women are volunteering for this, despite the long wait, shows how much mindsets are changing among women and youth.”
