An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea was occupied by Japan in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War. Five years later, Japan formally annexed the entire peninsula. Following World War II, Korea was split with the northern half coming under Soviet-sponsored Communist domination. After failing in the Korean War (1950-53) to conquer the US-backed Republic of Korea (ROK) in the southern portion by force, North Korea (DPRK), under its founder President KIM Il-so'ng, adopted a policy of ostensible diplomatic and economic "self-reliance" as a check against excessive Soviet or Communist Chinese influence. The DPRK demonized the US as the ultimate threat to its social system through state-funded propaganda, and molded political, economic, and military policies around the core ideological objective of eventual unification of Korea under Pyongyang's control. KIM's son, the current ruler KIM Jong Il, was officially designated as his father's successor in 1980, assuming a growing political and managerial role until the elder KIM's death in 1994. After decades of economic mismanagement and resource misallocation, the DPRK since the mid-1990s has relied heavily on international aid to feed its population while continuing to expend resources to maintain an army of 1 million. North Korea's long-range missile development, as well as its nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons programs and massive conventional armed forces, are of major concern to the international community. In December 2002, following revelations that the DPRK was pursuing a nuclear weapons program based on enriched uranium in violation of a 1994 agreement with the US to freeze and ultimately dismantle its existing plutonium-based program, North Korea expelled monitors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In January 2003, it declared its withdrawal from the international Non-Proliferation Treaty. In mid-2003 Pyongyang announced it had completed the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel rods (to extract weapons-grade plutonium) and was developing a "nuclear deterrent." Beginning in August 2003, North Korea, China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the US have participated in the Six-Party Talks aimed at resolving the stalemate over the DPRK's nuclear programs. North Korea pulled out of the talks in November 2005. It test-fired ballistic missiles in July 2006 and tested a nuclear weapon in October 2006. In October 2006, the DRPK announced that it would return to the Six-Party Talks. The Talks reconvened in December 2006.
Location
Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea
Geographic coordinates
40 00 N, 127 00 E
Map references
Asia
Area
total
120,540 sq km
land
120,410 sq km
water
130 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Mississippi
Land boundaries
total
1,673 km
border countries
China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km
Coastline
2,495 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
note
military boundary line 50 nm in the Sea of Japan and the exclusive economic zone limit in the Yellow Sea where all foreign vessels and aircraft without permission are banned
Climate
temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer
Terrain
mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east
strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated
Population
23,301,725 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
23.3% (male 2,758,826/female 2,679,093)
15-64 years
68.1% (male 7,852,282/female 8,024,429)
65 years and over
8.5% (male 709,599/female 1,277,496) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
32.4 years
male
30.9 years
female
33.8 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
0.785% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
15.06 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
7.21 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.979 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.555 male(s)/female
total population
0.945 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
22.56 deaths/1,000 live births
male
24.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female
20.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
71.92 years
male
69.18 years
female
74.8 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.05 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
Nationality
noun
Korean(s)
adjective
Korean
Ethnic groups
racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese
Religions
traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way)
note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom
Languages
Korean
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
99%
male
99%
female
99%
Country name
conventional long form
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
conventional short form
North Korea
local long form
Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk
local short form
Choson
abbreviation
DPRK
Government type
Communist state one-man dictatorship
Capital
name
Pyongyang
geographic coordinates
39 01 N, 125 45 E
time difference
UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 4 municipalities (si, singular and plural)
provinces: Chagang-do (Chagang), Hamgyong-bukto (North Hamgyong), Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong), Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae), Hwanghae-namdo (South Hwanghae), Kangwon-do (Kangwon), P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan), P'yongan-namdo (South P'yongan), Yanggang-do (Yanggang)
Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), 9 September (1948)
Constitution
adopted 1948; completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in April 1992, and September 1998
Legal system
based on Prussian civil law system with Japanese influences and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage
17 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
KIM Jong Il (since July 1994); note - on 3 September 2003, rubberstamp Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) reelected KIM Jong Il chairman of the National Defense Commission, a position accorded nation's "highest administrative authority"; SPA reelected KIM Yong Nam president of its Presidium also with responsibility of representing state and receiving diplomatic credentials
head of government
Premier KIM Yong Il (since 11 April 2007); Vice Premiers KWAK Pom Gi (since 5 September 1998), JON Sung Hun (since 3 September 2003), RO Tu Chol (since 3 September 2003)
cabinet
Naegak (cabinet) members, except for Minister of People's Armed Forces, are appointed by SPA
elections
last held in September 2003 (next to be held in September 2008)
election results
KIM Jong Il and KIM Yong Nam were only nominees for positions and ran unopposed
Legislative branch
unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 3 August 2003 (next to be held in August 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected without opposition; some seats are held by minor parties
Judicial branch
Central Court (judges are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly)
Political parties and leaders
major party - Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Jong Il]; minor parties - Chondoist Chongu Party [RYU Mi Yong] (under KWP control), Social Democratic Party [KIM Yong Dae] (under KWP control)
none; North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
none; note - Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang represents the US as consular protecting power
Flag description
three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in white; on the hoist side of the red band is a white disk with a red five-pointed star
Economy - overview
North Korea, one of the world's most centrally planned and isolated economies, faces desperate economic conditions. Industrial capital stock is nearly beyond repair as a result of years of underinvestment and shortages of spare parts. Industrial and power output have declined in parallel. Due in part to severe summer flooding followed by dry weather conditions in the fall of 2006, the nation has suffered its 12th year of food shortages because of on-going systemic problems, including a lack of arable land, collective farming practices, and chronic shortages of tractors and fuel. Massive international food aid deliveries have allowed the people of North Korea to escape mass starvation since famine threatened in 1995, but the population continues to suffer from prolonged malnutrition and poor living conditions. Large-scale military spending eats up resources needed for investment and civilian consumption. In 2004, the regime formalized an arrangement whereby private "farmers' markets" were allowed to begin selling a wider range of goods. It also permitted some private farming on an experimental basis in an effort to boost agricultural output. In October 2005, the regime reversed some of these policies by forbidding private sales of grains and reinstituting a centralized food rationing system. By December 2005, the regime terminated most international humanitarian assistance operations in North Korea (calling instead for developmental assistance only) and restricted the activities of remaining international and non-governmental aid organizations such as the World Food Program. External food aid now comes primarily from China and South Korea in the form of grants and long-term concessional loans. Firm political control remains the Communist government's overriding concern, which will likely inhibit the loosening of economic regulations.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$40 billion
note: North Korea does not publish any reliable National Income Accounts data; the datum shown here is derived from purchasing power parity (PPP) GDP estimates for North Korea that were made by Angus MADDISON in a study conducted for the OECD; his figure for 1999 was extrapolated to 2006 using estimated real growth rates for North Korea's GDP and an inflation factor based on the US GDP deflator; the result was rounded to the nearest $10 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
NA (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
1.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$1,800 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
30%
industry
34%
services
36% (2002 est.)
Labor force
9.6 million
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
36%
industry and services
64%
Unemployment rate
NA%
Population below poverty line
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
China 35%, South Korea 24%, Thailand 9%, Japan 9% (2005)
Imports
$2.72 billion c.i.f. (2005)
Imports - commodities
petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment, textiles, grain
Imports - partners
China 42%, South Korea 28%, Russia 9%, Thailand 8% (2005)
Debt - external
$12 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$NA; note - approximately 350,000 metric tons in food aid, worth approximately $118 million, through the World Food Program appeal in 2004, plus additional aid from bilateral donors and non-governmental organizations
Currency (code)
North Korean won (KPW)
Currency code
KPW
Exchange rates
official: North Korean won per US dollar - 141 (2006), 170 (December 2004), 150 (December 2002), market: North Korean won per US dollar - 2,500-3,000 (December 2006)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
980,000 (2003)
Telephone system
general assessment
NA
domestic
NA
international
country code - 850; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Russian (Indian Ocean region); other international connections through Moscow and Beijing
Radio broadcast stations
AM 17 (including 11 stations of Korean Central Broadcasting Station; North Korea has a "national intercom" cable radio station wired throughout the country that is a significant source of information for the average North Korean citizen; it is wired into most residences and workplaces and carries news and commentary), FM 14, shortwave 14 (2006)
Radios
3.36 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations
4 (includes Korean Central Television, Mansudae Television, Korean Educational and Cultural Network, and Kaesong Television targeting South Korea) (2003)
Televisions
1.2 million (1997)
Internet country code
.kp
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
1 (2000)
Internet users
NA
Airports
77 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
36
over 3,047 m
2
2,438 to 3,047 m
22
1,524 to 2,437 m
8
914 to 1,523 m
1
under 914 m
3 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
41
2,438 to 3,047 m
1
1,524 to 2,437 m
20
914 to 1,523 m
13
under 914 m
7 (2006)
Heliports
22 (2006)
Pipelines
oil 154 km (2006)
Railways
total
5,214 km
standard gauge
5,214 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2005)
Roadways
total
31,200 km
paved
1,997 km
unpaved
29,203 km (1999 est.)
Waterways
2,250 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2007)
Merchant marine
total
232 ships (1000 GRT or over) 983,182 GRT/1,370,104 DWT
by type
bulk carrier 14, cargo 176, chemical tanker 1, container 4, livestock carrier 3, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 8, vehicle carrier 1
foreign-owned
60 (British Virgin Islands 1, China 1, Denmark 1, Egypt 2, Greece 1, India 1, Lebanon 6, Lithuania 1, Marshall Islands 1, Pakistan 3, Romania 11, Russia 1, Singapore 1, Syria 14, Turkey 4, UAE 6, US 3, Yemen 2)
North Korean People's Army: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force; civil security forces (2005)
Military service age and obligation
17 years of age (2004)
Manpower available for military service
males age 17-49
5,851,801
females age 17-49
5,850,733 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 17-49
4,810,831
females age 17-49
4,853,270 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
194,605
females age 17-49
187,846 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
NA
Disputes - international
risking arrest, imprisonment, and deportation, tens of thousands of North Koreans cross into China to escape famine, economic privation, and political oppression; North Korea and China dispute the sovereignty of certain islands in Yalu and Tumen rivers; Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic incidents in the Yellow Sea with South Korea which claims the Northern Limiting Line as a maritime boundary; North Korea supports South Korea in rejecting Japan's claim to Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima)
Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 50,000-250,000 (government repression and famine) (2006)
Trafficking in persons
current situation
North Korea is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation; North Korea's own system of political repression includes forced labor in a network of prison camps where an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 persons are incarcerated; the illegal status of North Koreans in China and other countries increases their vulnerability to trafficking schemes and sexual and physical abuse; North Koreans forcibly returned from China may be subject to hard labor in prison camps operated by the government
tier rating
Tier 3 - North Korea does not fully comply with minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so
Illicit drugs
for years, from the 1970s into the 2000s, citizens of the Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea (DPRK), many of them diplomatic employees of the government, were apprehended abroad while trafficking in narcotics, including two in Turkey in December 2004; police investigations in Taiwan and Japan in recent years have linked North Korea to large illicit shipments of heroin and methamphetamine, including an attempt by the North Korean merchant ship Pong Su to deliver 150 kg of heroin to Australia in April 2003
