More than six decades ago in 1955, North Korea’s third-ever movie tried to take on an issue indicative of the time — the struggle for a woman to juggle both a model socialist job and her conservative homemaking duties, which “The Newlyweds” portrayed in detail.

Fast-forward to Oct. 2020 and the same holds true: Like in many parts of the world, North Korea’s women are burdened by what sociologists call a “second shift” — the additional work women face outside of their professional lives as gatekeepers to the family and home. 

The only difference is that,