Civil Procedure Code at North Korea
North Korea's civil litigation is governed by the Civil Procedure Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, adopted on January 10, 1976, and subsequently amended several times, with the latest amendment on December 23, 2015. (Civil Procedure Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (2015) — Law and North Korea)
📘 Key Features of the Civil Procedure Law
1. Objective and Principles
Objective: To protect the civil rights and interests of institutions, enterprises, organizations, and citizens through civil legal actions. (Civil Procedure Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (2015) — Law and North Korea)
Principles:
Combining the responsibility of the court with the initiative of the parties involved.
Guaranteeing equal rights and conditions for all parties during the lawsuit.
Grounding civil actions in the people and public.
Ensuring scientificity, objectivity, and caution in civil actions. (Civil Procedure Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (2015) — Law and North Korea)
2. Jurisdiction
Civil cases are resolved by People's Courts at various levels:
City (or District) or County People's Courts: Handle cases involving local institutions, enterprises, organizations, and citizens.
Province (or Municipality directly under central authority) Courts: Address cases not under the jurisdiction of lower courts or involving foreign entities.
Special Courts: Deal with specific types of cases as determined by law. (Civil Procedure Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (2015) — Law and North Korea)
3. Initiation of Lawsuits
Lawsuits can be initiated by institutions, enterprises, organizations, and citizens to protect their civil rights.
Public Prosecutors may also initiate lawsuits to protect state, societal, and citizen interests.
A notice of lawsuit must be submitted to the court, detailing the parties involved, the claim, supporting facts, and relevant evidence. (Civil Procedure Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (2015) — Law and North Korea)
4. Trial Procedures
Investigations and hearings are conducted based on lawsuits raised by the parties or by interested parties, including Public Prosecutors.
Trials are generally public, though certain cases may be held in camera to protect state secrets or societal interests.
The language of proceedings is Korean, with interpreters provided for non-Korean speakers. (Civil Procedure Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (2015) — Law and North Korea)
5. Judgments and Appeals
Judgments are adopted by majority decision of the court members.
Appeals can be made within 10 days of receiving the judgment.
Emergency appeals may be raised at any time if a final judgment has violated legal requirements. (Civil Procedure Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (2015) — Law and North Korea)
6. Execution of Judgments
Execution of judgments is carried out by executive officers.
Execution may be suspended under certain conditions, such as the debtor's inability to pay or mutual agreement between parties.
Property obtained through execution is handed over to the obligee, and an execution report is drafted. (Civil Procedure Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (2015) — Law and North Korea)
📄 Accessing the Law
The full text of the Civil Procedure Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is available in English translation on the Law and North Korea website. (Civil Procedure Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (2015) — Law and North Korea)
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