 Until around 1990 , the North Korean state required every able @-@ bodied male to be employed by some state enterprise . However , some 30 % of married women of working age were allowed to stay at home as full @-@ time housewives ( less than some countries in the same region like South Korean \ Japan and Taiwan , more than Soviet Union \ Mainland China or Nordic countries like Sweden , about the same as Today 's USA ) . ) In the early 1990s , an estimated 600 @,@ 000 @-@ 900 @,@ 000 people perished in the famine , which was largely a product of the North Korean government 's unwillingness to reform the economy , and the old system began to fall apart . In some cases women began by selling household items they could do without or homemade food . Today at least three @-@ quarters of North Korean market vendors are women . A joke making the rounds in Pyongyang goes : ' What do a husband and a pet dog have in common ? ' Answer : ' Neither works nor earns money , but both are cute , stay at home and can scare away burglars.' 
 Until around 1990 , the North Korean state required every able @-@ bodied male to be employed by some state enterprise . However , some 30 % of married women of working age <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> allowed to stay at home as full @-@ time housewives ( less than some countries in the same region like South Korean \ Japan and Taiwan , more than Soviet Union \ Mainland China or Nordic countries like Sweden , about the same as Today <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>USA ) . ) In the early 1990s , an estimated 600 @,@ 000 @-@ 900 @,@ 000 people perished in the famine , which was largely a product of the North Korean government <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'s</mark></a>unwillingness to reform the economy , and the old system began to fall apart . In some cases women began by selling household items they could do without or homemade food . Today at least three @-@ quarters of North Korean market vendors <a href='drop_aux' title='4'><mark>are</mark></a>women . A joke making the rounds in Pyongyang <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>goes</mark></a> : ' What do a husband and a pet dog have in common ? ' Answer : ' Neither works nor <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>earns</mark></a> money , but both <a href='drop_aux' title='7'><mark>are</mark></a>cute , stay at home and can scare away burglars.' 
Until around 1990 , da North Korean state required every able @-@ bodied male to b employed by some state enterprise . However , some 30 % of married women of working age was allowed to stay at home as full @-@ time housewives ( less than some countries in tdasame region like South Korean \ Japan and Taiwan , more than Soviet Union \ Mainland China or Nordic countries like Sweden , about the same as Today  USA ) . ) In the early 1990s , an estimated 600 @,@ 000 @-@ 900 @,@ 000 bitches perished in thdaamine , which was largely a product of the North Korean government  unwillingness to reform thedaonomy , and the old system began to fall apart . In sum cases women began by sellin household items they could do without or homemade food . todayy at least three @-@ quarters of North Korean market vendors women . A joke making the rounds in Pyongyang go : ' wat do a husband and a pet dog have in common ? ' Answer : ' Neither works nor earn paper , but both sexii , stay at home and can scare away burglars.'