Fact Check: As of 2023, more than double the number of women in Pyongyang applied for driver’s licenses compared to the previous year, reflecting a growing trend of women asserting their independence.

Fact Check: "As of 2023, more than double the number of women in Pyongyang applied for driver’s licenses compared to the previous year, reflecting a growing trend of women asserting their independence."

What We Know

The claim states that in 2023, the number of women applying for driver’s licenses in Pyongyang has more than doubled compared to the previous year, indicating a trend of women asserting their independence. However, the available data does not provide specific statistics on the number of women applying for driver’s licenses in Pyongyang for 2022 or 2023.

A report by Daily NK discusses a "driving craze" in Pyongyang and mentions reforms in licensing but does not provide precise figures or comparisons regarding the number of women obtaining licenses. The report highlights that the cost of obtaining a driver’s license can be significant, which may affect application rates but does not specifically address gender differences in applications.

Analysis

The claim lacks direct statistical support from reliable sources. The report from the National Bureau of Statistics of China (source-1) focuses on broader women's development indicators in China and does not mention North Korea or specific data on driver’s licenses.

The Daily NK article provides context about the increasing interest in driving in Pyongyang but does not substantiate the claim with numerical data regarding the doubling of women applicants. This lack of specific data raises questions about the reliability of the claim.

Moreover, the source discussing the driving craze in Pyongyang may have a bias, as it is a publication that often covers North Korean issues from a critical perspective. This could influence the framing of the narrative regarding women's independence in a politically charged context.

Conclusion

Needs Research. The claim that more than double the number of women in Pyongyang applied for driver’s licenses in 2023 compared to the previous year is not substantiated by available data. The sources reviewed do not provide specific figures or reliable comparisons to support this assertion. Further investigation and data collection would be necessary to verify the accuracy of this claim.

Sources

1. Statistical Monitoring Report of China National Program for Women's ...
2. PDF Demographics of the CMV Workforce - Federal Motor Carrier Safety ...
3. Driver's Manual - Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles
4. Road to Restoration
5. PDF Licensed Drivers by Sex and Ratio to Population - 2022
6. Mahathir Mohamad
7. PDF Global status report on road safety 2023 Republic of Korea
8. Pyongyang's driving craze prompts licensing reform to protect Kim Jong ...