North Korea
| Democratic People's Republic of Korea 조선민주주의인민공화국 Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk | |
|---|---|
Motto: Chosŏn'gŭl: 강성대국; MR: Kangsŏng Daeguk[citation needed]
"Powerful and Prosperous Nation"[citation needed] | |
.svg)
Area controlled by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea shown in dark green; claimed but uncontrolled regions shown in light green.
| |
| Capital and largest city | Pyongyang 39°2′N 125°45′E |
| Official languages | Korean[1] |
| Official script | Chosŏn'gŭl[2] |
| Demonym | |
| Government | Unitary one-partyJuche state Songun policy (de jure) under a totalitarian dictatorship(de facto)[3] |
| Kim Jong-un[n 1] | |
| Kim Yong-nam[n 2] | |
• Director of General Political Bureau
| Hwang Pyong-so |
• Premier
| Pak Pong-ju |
• Vice Chairman of Policy Bureau
| Choe Ryong-hae |
| Legislature | Supreme People's Assembly |
| Formation | |
| Before 194 BC | |
| 18 BC | |
| 698 | |
| 918 | |
| 29 August 1910 | |
• Liberation/Independence from Japan
| 15 August 1945 |
• Provisional People's Committee for North Korea established
| 8 February 1946 |
• Foundation of DPRK
| 9 September 1948 |
• Chinese withdrawal
| October 1958 |
• Juche ideology implemented
| 27 December 1972 |
| 29 June 2016 | |
| Area | |
• Total
| 120,540 km2(46,540 sq mi)[5] (97th) |
• Water (%)
| 4.87 |
| Population | |
• 2016 estimate
| 25,368,620[6] (48th) |
• 2008 census
| 24,052,231[7] |
• Density
| 198.3/km2(513.6/sq mi) (63rd) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2014 estimate |
• Total
| $40 billion[8] |
• Per capita
| $1,800[9] |
| GDP (nominal) | 2015 estimate |
• Total
| $25 billion[10][11] |
• Per capita
| $1,000[11] |
| Currency | North Korean won (₩) (KPW) |
| Time zone | Pyongyang Time[12](UTC+8:30) |
| Date format | |
| Drives on the | right |
| Calling code | +850 |
| ISO 3166 code | KP |
| Internet TLD | .kp |
| North Korea | |
.svg)
"North Korea" in Chosŏn'gŭl (top) and Hancha (bottom) scripts.
| |
| Hangul | 조선 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 朝鮮 |
| McCune–Reischauer | Chosŏn |
| Democratic People's Republic of Korea | |
"Democratic People's Republic of Korea" in Hancha (top) and Chosŏn'gŭl (bottom) scripts.
| |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 조선민주주의인민공화국 |
|---|---|
| Hancha | 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國 |
| McCune–Reischauer | Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk |
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (abbreviated DPRK), is a country in East Asia constituting the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang is the nation's capital and largest city. To the north and northwest the country is bordered by China and by Russia along the Amnok (known as the Yalu in China) and Tumen rivers;[13] it is bordered to the south by South Korea, with the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two. Nevertheless, North Korea, like its southern counterpart, claims to be the legitimate government of the entire peninsula.[14]
In 1910, Korea was annexed by the Empire of Japan. After the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II in 1945, Korea was divided into two zones, with the north occupied by the Soviets and the south by the Americans. Negotiations on reunification failed, and in 1948, separate governments were formed: the socialist Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north, and the capitalist Republic of Korea in the south. An invasion initiated by North Korea led to the Korean War (1950–1953). The Korean Armistice Agreement brought about a ceasefire, but no peace treaty was signed.[15]
North Korea officially describes itself as a self-reliant, socialist state[16] and formally holds elections. Various media outlets have called it Stalinist,[25] particularly noting the elaborate cult of personality around Kim Il-sung and his family. The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), led by a member of the ruling family,[26] holds power in the state and leads the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland of which all political officers are required to be members.[27] Juche, an ideology of national self-reliance, was introduced into the constitution in 1972.[28][29] The means of production are owned by the state through state-run enterprises and collectivized farms. Most services such as healthcare, education, housing and food production are subsidized or state-funded.[30] From 1994 to 1998, North Korea suffered a famine that resulted in the deaths of between 240,000 and 420,000 people,[31] and the country continues to struggle with food production. A sizeable amount of the population is thought to suffer from malnutrition, parasite infestations, and food and waterborne diseases. North Korea follows Songun, or "military-first" policy.[32] It is the country with the highest number of military and paramilitary personnel, with a total of 9,495,000 active, reserve, and paramilitary personnel. Its active duty army of 1.21 million is the fourth largest in the world, after China, the United States, and India.[33] It possesses nuclear weapons.[34][35] North Korea is an atheist state with no official religion and public religion is discouraged.[36] Both North Korea and South Korea became members of the United Nations in 1991.[37]
International organizations have assessed that human rights violations in North Korea have no parallel in the contemporary world.[38][39][40] North Korea operates reeducation and concentration camps, akin to the concentration camps of Nazi Germany or the gulags of the Soviet Union. The concentration camps are used to segregate those seen as enemies of the state, and punish them for alleged political misdemeanours or alleged misdemeanours of relatives as part of the "3 generations of punishment" policy instigated by state founder Kim Il-Sung. Prisoners are frequently subject to slave labour, malnutrition, torture, human experimentation, arbitrary executions, and rape.
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