North Korea

Information about North Korea

For the history of Korea, see .

조선민주주의인민공화국
朝鮮民主主義人民共和國
Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk^[1]

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Flag of North Korea
Flag	Coat of arms

Anthem
Aegukka

Location of North Korea

Capital

Demonym North Korean, Korean

Government Communist dictatorship

- Eternal President of the Republic Kim Il-sung^a

- Chairman of the NDC Kim Jong-il^b

- President of the SPA Kim Yong-nam^c

- Premier Kim Yong-il

Establishment

- Independence declared March 1 1919

- Liberation August 15 1945

- Formal declaration September 9 1948

- Water (%) 4.87

Population

- 2007 estimate 23,301,725^[2] (48th)

- census n/a

GDP (PPP) 2006^[3] estimate

- Total $22.85 billion (85th)

- Per capita $1,007 (149th)

FSI (2007) 97.7 0.4 (Alert) (13th)

HDI (2003) n/a (n/a) (unranked)

Currency North Korean won (₩) (KPW)

Time zone Korea Standard Time (UTC+9)

- Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+9)

^aDied 1994, named "Eternal President" in 1998
^b Kim Jong-il is the nation's most prominent leading figure and a government figure head, although he is not the head of state or the head of government; his official title is Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea, a position which he has held since 1994.
^c Kim Yong-nam is the "head of state for foreign affairs".

North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (the DPRK^[4]), is a country in East Asia in the northern half of the Korean Peninsula, with its capital in the city of Pyongyang. At its northern border are China on the Yalu River and Russia on the Tumen River, in the far northeastern corner of the country. To the south, it is bordered by South Korea, with which it formed one nation until the division following World War II.

North Korea is a communist dictatorship following the Juche ideology, developed by Kim Il-sung, the country's first president. The current leader is Kim Jong-il, the late president Kim Il-sung's son. Relations are strong with other traditional socialist states, Vietnam, Laos, and, often, China, as well as with Cambodia and Burma. Following a major famine in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a major economic partner, leader Kim Jong-il instated the "Military-First" policy in 1995, increasing economic concentration and support for the military.

Multiple international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have accused North Korea of having one of the worst human rights records of any nation. Defectors have testified to the existence of detention camps, reporting torture, murder, and medical experimentation.

North Korea's culture is officially protected and heavily promoted by the government. The Mass Games are government-organized events glorifying its two leaders, involving over 100,000 performers. In July 2004, the Complex of Goguryeo Tombs became the first site in the country to be included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

History

Main article: History of North Korea

See also: History of Korea

Emergence of North Korea

In the aftermath of the Japanese occupation of Korea, which ended with Japan's defeat in World War II in 1945; the Soviet Union took the surrender of Japanese forces and controlled the area north of the 38th parallel and the United States likewise the area south of the parallel. Virtually all Koreans welcomed liberation from Japanese imperial rule, yet objected to re-imposition of foreign rule upon the peninsula. The Soviets and Americans disagreed on the implementation of Joint Trusteeship over Korea, with each establishing its socio-economic and political system upon its jurisdiction, leading, in 1948, to the establishment of ideologically opposed governments.^[5] The United States and the Soviet Union then withdrew their forces from Korea. Growing tensions and border skirmishes between north and south led to the civil war called the Korean War.

On June 25, 1950, the (North) Korean People's Army crossed the 38th Parallel in a war of peninsular reunification under their political system. The war continued until July 27, 1953, when the United Nations Command, the Korean People's Army, and the Chinese People's Volunteer Army signed the Korean War Armistice Agreement.^[6] Since that time the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) has separated the North and South.

Economic evolution

In the aftermath of the Korean War and throughout the 1960s and the country's state-controlled economy grew at a significant rate and, until the early 1970s, was considered to be stronger than that of the South. The country struggled throughout the 1990s, primarily due to the loss of strategic trade arrangements with the USSR^[7] and strained relations with China following China's normalization with South Korea in 1992.^[8] In addition, North Korea experienced record-breaking floods (1995 and 1996) followed by several years of equally severe drought beginning in 1997.^[9] This, compounded with only 18 percent arable land^[10] and an inability to import the goods necessary to sustain industry,^[11] led to an immense famine and left North Korea in economic shambles. Large numbers of North Koreans illegally entered the People's Republic of China in search of food. Faced with a country in decay, Kim Jong-il adopted a "Military-First" policy to strengthen the country and reinforce the regime.^[12]

Government and politics

The Tower of Juche Idea in Pyongyang.

Main article: Politics of North Korea

North Korea is officially described as a Juche (self-reliance) State. Government is organized as a dictatorship. Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea, was the country's first and only president. Following his death in 1994 he was not replaced, instead receiving the designation of "Eternal President", and rests in the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in central Pyongyang. The active position has been abolished in deference to the memory of Kim Il-sung.^[13]

The de facto head of state is Kim Jong-il, who is Chairman of the National Defense Commission as well as the former President's son. The legislature of North Korea is the Supreme People's Assembly, currently led by President Kim Yong-nam. The other senior government leader is Premier Kim Yong-il.

North Korea is a single-party state with a Stalinist, authoritarian, and totalitarian regime. The governing party is the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland, a coalition made up of three smaller parties, the Workers' Party of North Korea, the North Korean Social Democratic Party and the Chondoist Chongu Party. These parties nominate all candidates for office and hold all seats in the Supreme People's Assembly.

Human rights

Main article: Human rights in North Korea

Multiple international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, accuse North Korea of having one of the worst human rights records of any nation.^[14] North Koreans have been referred to as "some of the world's most brutalized people", regarding their severe restrictions on political and economic freedoms.^[15] North Korean defectors have testified to the existence of prison and detention camps with an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 inmates, and have reported torture, starvation, rape, murder, medical experimentation, forced labor, and forced abortions.^[16]

Foreign relations

Kim Jong-il (left), with his father Kim Il-sung around 1986.

Main article: Foreign relations of North Korea

Since the ceasefire of the Korean War in 1953, the relations between the North Korean government and South Korea, the United States, and Japan have remained tense. Fighting was halted in the ceasefire, however both Koreas are still technically at war. Both the North and South Korean governments proclaim that they are seeking eventual reunification as a goal. North Korea's policy is to seek reunification without what it sees as outside interference, through a federal structure retaining each side's leadership and systems. Both North and South Korea signed the June 15th North-South Joint Declaration in 2000, in which both sides made promises to seek out a peaceful reunification.^[17]

In 2002, U.S. President George W. Bush labeled North Korea part of an "axis of evil" and an "outpost of tyranny". The highest-level contact the government has had with that of the United States was with U. S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who made a visit to Pyongyang in 2000,^[18] but the two countries do not have formal diplomatic relations.<ref name="cia" /> In 2006, approximately 37,000 American soldiers remained in South Korea, with plans to reduce the number to 25,000 by 2008.^[19] Despite the foreign troops, Kim Jong-il has privately stated his acceptance of U.S. troops on the peninsula, even after a possible reunification.^[20] It is claimed by U.S sources that if North Korea and the U.S. normalize relations, both Koreas would wish to maintain the presence of U.S. troops out of fear of China and Japan but North Korea strongly denies that and requests the removal of American troops (see North Korea-United States relations).^[20]

North Korea has long maintained close relations with the People's Republic of China and Russia. The fall of communism in eastern Europe in 1989 and the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 resulted in a devastating drop in aid to North Korea from Russia, although China continues to provide substantial assistance. North Korea continues to have strong ties with its socialist southeast Asian allies in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.^[21] North Korea has started installing a fence on its northern border in response to China's wishing to curb refugees fleeing from North Korea, which had erected a concrete and barbed wire fence in the past year. Previously the shared border with China and North Korea had only been lightly patrolled. ^[22]

As a result of the North Korean nuclear weapons program, the Six-party talks have been established to find a peaceful solution for the growing unrest between the two Koreas, the Russian Federation, the People's Republic of China, Japan, and the United States.

Military

Main article: Korean People's Army

Kim Jong-il is the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and Chairman of the National Defense Commission. The Korean People's Army is the name for the collective armed personnel of the North Korean military. The army has four branches: Ground Force, Naval Force, Air Force and the Civil Securities Force.

According to the U.S. Department of State, North Korea has the fourth-largest military in the world, at an estimated 1.21 million armed personnel, with about 20% of men ages 17-54 in the regular armed forces.^[23] North Korea has the highest percentage of military personnel per capita of any nation in the world, with approximately 40 enlisted soldiers per 1,000 citizens.^[24] Annual military spending is estimated as high as US$5 Billion (20% of GDP), compared with South Korea's $24 Billion (2.7% of GDP). North Korea has perhaps the world's second-largest special operations force (estimated at 100,000 as of 2002),^[26] Military strategy is designed for insertion and sabotage behind enemy lines in wartime,<ref name="bgn" /> with much of the KPA's forces deployed along the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone.

Nuclear weapons program

Main article: North Korea and weapons of mass destruction

On October 9 2006, North Korea conducted its first nuclear test.^[27] The blast was smaller than expected and U.S. officials suggested that it may have been an unsuccessful test or a partially successful fizzle.^[28] North Korea has previously stated that it has produced nuclear weapons and according to U.S. intelligence and military officials it has produced, or has the capability to produce, up to six or seven such devices.^[29] As of October 2006, North Korea is not believed to have the capability to deliver a nuclear warhead by affixing to a missile or other nuclear weapons delivery system. The most likely means of transport would be aircraft, which could be monitored.^[30]

On March 17, 2007, North Korea told delegates at international nuclear talks it would begin shut down preparations for its main nuclear facility. This was later confirmed on July 14 as International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors observed the initial shutdown phases of the Yongbyon nuclear reactor despite there being no official timeline declared. In return, the reclusive nation has received 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil shipped from South Korea. Once the nuclear reactor is permanently shut down, North Korea will receive the equivalent of 950,000 tons of fuel oil when the six-nation talks reconvene. Following breakthrough talks held in September 2007, aimed at hastening the end of North Korea's nuclear program, North Korea will "disable all its nuclear facilities" by the end of the year, according to the US assistant secretary of state. The details of such an agreement are due to be worked out in a session held in China which will involve South Korea, China, Russia and Japan. Terms for the agreement have thus far not been disclosed, nor has it been disclosed what offer was made on the US's part in exchange. The possibility of removing North Korea from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism has been discussed, which imposes a ban on all arms related trade with countries on the list, along with withholding US aid. Should these bans be lifted, the US may help North Koreans following devastating floods earlier this year.

Geography

Map of North Korea

Main article: Geography of North Korea

See also: Korean Peninsula

North Korea is on the northern portion of the Korean Peninsula, covering an area of 120,540 km (46541 sq mi). North Korea shares land borders with China and Russia to the north, and borders South Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone. To its west are the Yellow Sea and Korea Bay, and to its east is the East Sea. Japan lies east of the peninsula across the East Sea.

North Korea's highest point is Baekdu Mountain at 2,744 m (9003 ft). The longest river is the Amnok River which flows for 790 km (491 mi).^[31]

The local climate is relatively temperate, with precipitation heavier in summer during a short rainy season called changma, and winters that can be bitterly cold on occasion.^[32] From 7 to 12 August, 2007, the most devastating floods in 40 years incited the North Korean Government to ask for international help. NGOs, such as the Red Cross, asked people to raise funds because they feared a humanitarian catastrophe.^[33]

North Korea's capital and largest city is Pyongyang; other major cities include Kaesong in the south, Sinuiju in the northwest, Wonsan and Hamhung in the east and Chongjin in the northeast.

Economy

A satellite photo of the Korean Peninsula at night (the large spot representing Seoul) illustrates the large differences between North Korea and South Korea as well as a similar contrast between North Korea and China.

Pyongyang Metro.

Main article: Economy of North Korea

In the aftermath of the Korean War and throughout the 1960s and '70s, the country's state-controlled economy grew at a significant rate and, until the late 1970s, was considered to be stronger than that of the South. State-owned industry produces nearly all manufactured goods. The government focuses on heavy military industry, following Kim Jong-il's adoption of a "Military-First" policy. Estimates of the North Korea economy cover a broad range, as the country does not release official figures and the secretive nature of the country makes outside estimation difficult. According to accepted estimates, North Korea spends US$5 billion out of a gross domestic product (GDP) of $20.9 billion on the military, compared with South Korea's $24 billion out of a GDP of $1.196 trillion.^[34]^[35]

1990s famine

Main article: North Korean famine

In the 1990s North Korea faced significant economic disruptions, including a series of natural disasters, economic mismanagement, serious fertilizer shortages, and the collapse of the Eastern Bloc. These resulted in a shortfall of staple grain output of more than 1 million tons from what the country needs to meet internationally-accepted minimum dietary requirements. ^[36] The North Korean famine resulted in the deaths of between 300,000 and 800,000 North Koreans per year during the three year famine, peaking in 1997, with 2.0 million total being "the highest possible estimate."^[37] The deaths were most likely caused by famine-related illnesses such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and diarrhea rather than starvation.^[37]

In 2006, Amnesty International reported that a national nutrition survey conducted by the North Korean government, the World Food Programme, and UNICEF found that 7 percent of children were severely malnourished; 37 percent were chronically malnourished; 23.4 percent were underweight; and one in three mothers was malnourished and anaemic as the result of the lingering effect of the famine. The inflation caused by some of the 2002 economic reforms, including the "Military-first" policy, was cited for creating the increased price of basic foods.^[38]

Beginning in 1997, the U.S. began shipping food aid to North Korea through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to combat the famine. Shipments peaked in 1999 at nearly 700,000 tons making the U.S. the largest foreign aid donor to the country at the time. Under the Bush Administration, aid was drastically reduced year after year from 350,000 tons in 2001 to 40,000 in 2004.^[39] The Bush Administration took criticism for using "food as a weapon" during talks over the North's nuclear weapons program, but insisted the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) criteria were the same for all countries and the situation in North Korea had "improved significantly since its collapse in the mid-1990s." Agricultural production had increased from about 2.7 million metric tons in 1997 to 4.2 million metric tons in 2004.^[40]

Foreign commerce

Collective farm in Hamhung.

China and South Korea remain the largest donors of unconditional food aid to North Korea. The U.S. objects to this manner of donating food due to lack of oversight.^[40] In 2005, China and South Korea combined to provide 1 million tons of food aid, each contributing half.^[41] In addition to food aid, China reportedly provides an estimated 80 to 90 percent of North Korea's oil imports at "friendly prices" that are sharply lower than the world market price.^[42]

On 19 September 2005, North Korea was promised fuel aid and various other non-food incentives from South Korea, the U.S., Japan, Russia, and China in exchange for abandoning its nuclear weapons program and rejoining the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Providing food in exchange for abandoning weapons programs has historically been avoided by the U.S. so as not to be perceived as "using food as a weapon".^[43] Humanitarian aid from North Korea's neighbors has been cut off at times to provoke North Korea to resume boycotted talks, such as South Korea's "postponed consideration" of 500,000 tons of rice for the North in 2006 but the idea of providing food as a clear incentive (as opposed to resuming "general humanitarian aid") has been avoided.^[44]

North Korea's high-tech industrial activity has increased in the past decade.

In July 2002, North Korea started experimenting with capitalism in the Kaesong Industrial Region.^[45] A small number of other areas have been designated as Special Administrative Regions, including Sinŭiju along the China-North Korea border. China and South Korea are the biggest trade partners of North Korea, with trade with China increasing 38% to US$1.02 billion in 2003, and trade with South Korea increasing 12% to $724 million in 2003.<ref name="cankor" /> It is reported that the number of mobile phones in Pyongyang rose from only 3,000 in 2002 to approximately 20,000 during 2004.^[46] As of June 2004, however, mobile phones became forbidden again.^[47] A small amount of capitalistic elements are gradually spreading from the trial area, including a number of advertising billboards along certain highways. Recent visitors have reported that the number of open-air farmers' markets has increased in Kaesong and Pyongyang, as well as along the China-North Korea border, bypassing the food rationing system.

In an event in 2003 dubbed the "Pong Su incident", a North Korean cargo ship allegedly attempting to smuggle heroin into Australia was seized by Australian officials, strengthening Australian and United States' suspicions that Pyongyang engages in international drug smuggling. The North Korean government denied any involvement.^[48]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of North Korea

North Korea's population of roughly 23 million is one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous in the world, with very small numbers of Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and European expatriate minorities.

Religion

View of the Daedong River overlooking Pyongyang.

Main article: Religion in North Korea

North Korea shares with South Korea a Buddhist and Confucian heritage and recent history of Christian and Chondogyo ("Heavenly Way") movements. The North Korean Constitution allows freedom of religion, however, according to Human Rights Watch, ever since the rise of communism, free religious activities no longer exist as the government sponsors religious groups only to create an illusion of religious freedom.^[49] In practical terms all religion in North Korea is superseded by a cult of personality devoted to the rulers Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il.

Pyongyang was the center of Christian activity in Korea before the Korean War. Today, two state-sanctioned churches exist, which freedom of religion advocates allege are showcases for foreigners.^[50]^[51] Official government statistics report that there are 10,000 Protestants and 4,000 Roman Catholics in North Korea.^[52]

According to a ranking published by Open Doors, an organization that supports persecuted Christians, North Korea is currently the country with the most severe persecution of Christians in the world.^[53] Human rights groups such as Amnesty International also have expressed concerns about religious persecution in North Korea.^[54]

Language

North Korea shares the Korean language with South Korea. There are dialect differences within both Koreas, but the border between North and South does not represent a major linguistic boundary. The adoption of modern terms from foreign languages has been limited in North Korea, while prevalent in the South. Hanja (Chinese characters) are no longer used in North Korea, although still occasionally used in South Korea. Both Koreas share the Hangul writing system, called Chosongul in North Korea. The official Romanization differs in the two countries, with North Korea using a slightly modified McCune-Reischauer system, and the South using the Revised Romanization of Korean.

Culture

Scene from Mass Games in Pyongyang.

Main articles: Culture of Korea and Contemporary culture of North Korea

There is a vast cult of personality around Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il and much of North Korea's literature, popular music, theater, and film glorify the two men.

A popular event in North Korea is the Mass Games. The most recent and largest Mass Games was called "Arirang". It was performed six nights a week for two months, and involved over 100,000 performers. Attendees to this event report that the anti-West sentiments have been toned down compared to previous performances. The Mass Games involve performances of dance, gymnastic, and choreographic routines which celebrate the history of North Korea and the Workers' Party Revolution. The Mass Games are held in Pyongyang at various venues (varying according to the scale of the Games in a particular year) including the May Day Stadium.

Grand People's Palace of Studies

Culture is officially protected by the North Korean government. Large buildings committed to culture have been built, such as the People's Palace of Culture or the Grand People's Palace of Studies, both in Yoco. Outside the capital, there's a major theatre in Hamhung and in every city there are State-run theatres and stadiums.

Hamhung Theatre, the largest in North Korea.

Korean culture came under attack during the Japanese rule from 1910-1945. Japan enforced a cultural assimilation policy. Koreans were forced to learn and speak Japanese, adopt the Japanese family name system and Shinto religion, and forbidden to write or speak the Korean language in schools, businesses, or public places.^[55] In addition, the Japanese altered or destroyed various Korean monuments including Gyeongbok Palace and documents which portrayed the Japanese in a negative light were revised. This methodical alteration process was done by the Editing Agency of Korean History.

In July 2004, the Complex of Goguryeo Tombs became the first site in the country to be included into the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

Administrative divisions

Main articles: Administrative divisions of North Korea and Cities of North Korea

See also: Provinces of Korea

North Korea is divided into nine provinces, three special regions, and two directly-governed cities (chikhalsi, 직할시, 直轄市):

Provinces

Division	Transliteration	Hangul	Hanja
Province
Chagang	Chagang-do	자강도	慈江?
North Hamgyong	Hamgyŏng-pukto	함경북도	咸鏡北?
South Hamgyong	Hamgyŏng-namdo	함경남도	咸鏡南?
North Hwanghae	Hwanghae-pukto	황해북도	黃海北?
South Hwanghae	Hwanghae-namdo	황해남도	黃海南?
Kangwon	Kangwŏndo	강원도	江原?
North Pyongan	P'yŏngan-pukto	평안북도	平安北?
South Pyongan	P'yŏngan-namdo	평안남도	平安南?
Ryanggang *	Ryanggang-do	량강도	兩江?
Special regions
Kaesŏng Industrial Region	Kaesŏng Kong-ŏp Chigu	개성공업지구	開城工業地?
Kumgangsan Tourist Region	Kŭmgangsan Kwangwang Chigu	금강산관광지구	金剛山觀光地?
Sinuiju Special Administrative Region	Sinŭiju T'ŭkpyŏl Haengjŏnggu	신의주특별행정구	新義州特別行政?
Directly-governed cities
Pyongyang	P'yŏngyang Chikhalsi	평양직할시	平壤直轄?
Rason	Rasŏn (Rajin-Sŏnbong) Chikhalsi	라선(라진-선봉)직할시	羅先(羅津-先鋒)直轄?

* - Sometimes rendered "Yanggang" (양강도).

Major cities

Notes and references

1. ^ Administrative Divisions and Population Figures (#26) (PDF). DPRK: The Land of the Morning Calm. Permanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Use (2003-04). Retrieved on 2006-10-10.
2. ^ [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kn.html Korea, North]. CIA World Factbook (2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-01. North Korea itself does not disclose figures.
3. ^ Country Profile: North Korea. Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK (2007-07-20). Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
4. ^ Another acronym occasionnally used in the media is DPRNK, as for Democratic People's Republic of North Korea
5. ^ Korean Embassy (2000). Establishment of the Republic of Korea. AsianInfo.org. Retrieved on 2007-03-13.
6. ^ Text of the Korean War Armistice Agreement. Find Law (1953). Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
7. ^ United States Department of Agriculture (April 1992). Prospects for trade with an integrated Korean market. Agricultural Outlook. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
8. ^ Kwan, Chi Hung (2003-04-18). China in Transition. Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
9. ^ Olson, Al (2005-12-28). An Antidote to disinformation about North Korea. Global Research. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
10. ^ Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress (2007). North Korea Agriculture. Country Studies. Retrieved on 2007-03-11.
11. ^ Federation of American Scientists (2000-06-15). Other Industry - North Korean Targets. Weapons of Mass Destruction.
12. ^ Hodge, Homer T. (2003-02-07). North Korea’s Military Strategy. US Army War College Quarterly. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
13. ^ 10th Supreme People's Assembly. (1998-09-15). DPRK's Socialist Constitution (Full Text). The People's Korea. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
14. ^ Amnesty International (2007). Our Issues, North Korea. Human Rights Concerns. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
15. ^ Seok, Kay (2007-05-15). Grotesque indifference. Human Rights Watch. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
16. ^ Hawk, David (2003). The Hidden Gulag]: Exposing North Korea’s Prison Camps - Prisoners’ Testimonies and Satellite Photographs]. U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
17. ^ North-South Joint Declaration. Naenara (2000-06-15). Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
18. ^ Bury, Chris (November 2000). Interview - Madeleine Albright. Nightline Frontline, on PBS.org. Retrieved on 2007-08-11.
19. ^ Xinhua (2005-01-13). S. Korea to cut 40,000 troops by 2008. People's Daily Online. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
20. ^ Oberdorfer, Don (2005-07-28). North Korea: Six-Party Talks Continue. The Washington Post Online. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
21. ^ Kim Yong Nam Visits 3 ASEAN Nations To Strengthen Traditional Ties. The People's Korea (2001). Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
22. ^ Report: N. Korea building fence to keep people in
23. ^ Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (April 2007). Background Note: North Korea. United States Department of State. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
24. ^ Army personnel (per capita) by country. NationMaster (2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
26. ^ Fujimoto, Masashi (2002). Capability Analysis of North Korean Special Forces. Defense Research Center (DRC) Annual Report, Japan. Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
27. ^ US confirms nuclear claim. New York Times (2006-10-15). Retrieved on 2006-10-16.
28. ^ US says Test points to N. Korea nuclear blast. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
29. ^ Post-election push on N Korea. BBC News (2005-11-06). Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
30. ^ Q&A: N Korea nuclear stand-off. BBC (2003-12-09). Retrieved on 2006-10-15.
31. ^ Caraway, Bill (2007). Korea Geography. The Korean History Project. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
32. ^ Federal Research Division of the US Library of Congress (2007). North Korea - Climate. Country Studies. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
33. ^ "Emergency appeal for DPRK flood survivors", website of the Red Cross
34. ^ Research Library: Korea, South. ICONS Project (2007-05-29). Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
35. ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ks.html#Econ
36. ^ Federal Research Division of the US Library of Congress (2007). North Korea - Agriculture. Country Studies. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
37. ^ Lee, May (1998-08-19). Famine may have killed 2 million in North Korea. CNN. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
38. ^ Asia-Pacific : North Korea. Amnesty International (2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
39. ^ Solomon, Jay (2005-05-20). US Has Put Food Aid for North Korea on Hold. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
40. ^ Report on U.S. Humanitarian assistance to North Koreans (PDF). United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs (2006-04-15). Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
41. ^ North Korea: Ending Food Aid Would Deepen Hunger. Human Rights Watch (2006-10-11). Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
42. ^ Nam, Sung-wook (2006-10-26). China's N.K. policy unlikely to change. The Korea Herald. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
43. ^ Fourth round of Six-Party Talks. CanKor, on Korean Peace and Security (2005-09-27). Retrieved on 2007-08-01.
44. ^ Faiola, Anthony (2006-07-14). S. Korea Suspends Food Aid to North. Washington Post. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
45. ^ French, Howard W. (2002-09-25). North Korea to Let Capitalism Loose in Investment Zone. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
46. ^ MacKinnon, Rebecca (2005-01-17). Chinese Cell Phone Breaches North Korean Hermit Kingdom. Yale Global Online. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
47. ^ North Korea recalls mobile phones. The Sydney Morning Herald (2004-06-04). Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
48. ^ N Korean heroin ship sunk by jet. BBC News (2006-03-23). Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
49. ^ Human Rights in North Korea. Human Rights Watch (July 2004). Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
50. ^ United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (2004-09-21). Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. Nautilus Institute. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
51. ^ N Korea stages Mass for Pope. BBC News (2005-04-10). Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
52. ^ North Korean Religion. Windows on Asia. Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
53. ^ [1]
54. ^ Korea Report 2002. Amnesty International (2001). Retrieved on 2007-08-02.
55. ^ Cumings, Bruce G.. "The Rise of Korean Nationalism and Communism", A Country Study: North Korea. Library of Congress. Call number DS932 .N662 1994.

Pictorials

Christian Kracht, Eva Munz, Lukas Nikol, "The Ministry Of Truth. Kim Jong Ils North Korea", Feral House, Oct 2007, 132 pages, 88 color photographs, ISBN 978-932595-27-7

External links

Government-sponsored sources

Official Presence of the DPR Korea including the Korean Friendship Association
Naenara - ("My country") DPRK's Official Web Portal run by Korea Computer Company
The Korean Central News Agency The DPRK's news service - hosted in Japan
North Korea International Documentation Project - Documents on North Korea

News sources

KCNA - Korean Central News Agency, the official news agency of the DPRK
BBC News - "Country Profile: North Korea"
Pyongyang Watch, an archive of Asia Times articles
Another Korea - Background stories on North Korea
Daily NK - North Korea focused daily online newspaper

Documentaries

Kim's Nuclear Gamble - PBS Frontline Documentary (Video & Transcript)
Seoul Train Documentary on North Koreans Trying to escape via China 2004
The Hermit Kingdom Dan Rather 60 Minutes 02/06
A State of Mind Documentary by the BBC following two young North Korean gymnasts training for the mass games (2004)
National Geographic: Explorer Documentary by National Geographic about an eye doctor from Nepal who goes to North Korea to operate on cataract patients (also has undercover footage of North Korea in general)

Human rights links

http://www.northkoreanrefugees.com/2005-video2.htm ' A report on human rights and prisons in N. Korea.
Liberty in North Korea: Advocate for human rights, political and religious freedom, and humanitarian aid for North Korea

Weblogs

One Free Korea: Updated daily; focusing on human rights, political, economic, and military issues, often with Google-Earth tours of North Korea's most secret places
DPRK Studies: Current analysis, commentary, and news on North Korea’s security, social, and political issues; North Korean Studies
NK Zone: Includes a variety of perspectives, with a greater focus on cultural and economic issues
RU NK: Focusing primarily on human rights issues, by a member of Liberty in North Korea
NK Econ Watch: Focusing mainly on economic issues
News of North Korea: news about North Korean refugees and the situation inside of the country

Photo logs

Reunification

Kim Il Sung: 10 Point programme for reunification of the country
"Korean Friendship Association" - Unification - recognized by DPRK
Ministry of Unification - South Korea
International Liaison Committee for Reunification and Peace in Korea (CILRECO) - France
"Korea is one" - Belgian-Korean Friendship Association

Miscellaneous

North Korea: A Reporter's Notebook — Luis Ramirez (Voice of America)
"A Year in Pyongyang", by Andrew Holloway, 1988.
Pyongyang Metro System Unofficial Web Site - Examining a suspected underground military installation
"Beyond the 38th Parallel", by Matt Sparrow, 2001.
Crisis Guide: The Korean Peninsula Council on Foreign Relations

• • [ e]

Korea-related topics

North Korea South Korea

Economy

North Korea
List of companies Currency Communications Transportation
South Korea
List of companies Chaebol (Samsung • Hyundai • LG • SK) "Miracle on the Han River" Currency 1997 financial crisis Communications Transportation Real estate

Demographics

North Korea
South Korea
People (List • Adoptees • Koreatown) Language (Hangul • Hanja) Names

• • [ e] Regions and administrative divisions of North Korea
Regions Kwanbuk (Kwannam) Kwansŏ Kwandong (Ryŏngdong • Ryŏngsŏ) Haesŏ Provinces Chagang Hambuk Hamnam Hwangbuk Hwangnam Kangwŏn North P'yŏngan South P'yŏngan Ryanggang Special administrative regions Kaesŏng Kŭmgangsan Sinŭiju Directly-governed cities P'yŏngyang Rasŏn

• • [ e]

Countries and territories of East Asia

People's Republic of China		People's Republic of China¹ Japan North Korea	South Korea Mongolia
SARs	Hong Kong Macau

Sometimes included: Singapore Vietnam Russian Far East

¹ Otherwise known as "Taiwan"; see Political status of Taiwan.

• • [ e]

Countries of Asia

Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan¹ Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Cambodia China, People's Republic of China, Republic of (Taiwan)² Cyprus Egypt³ Georgia¹ India Indonesia⁴ Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan¹ Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Russia¹ Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Syria Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste (East Timor)⁴ Turkey¹ Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen³ For dependent and other territories, see Dependent territory and List of unrecognized countries. ¹ Partly or significantly in Europe. ² The Republic of China (Taiwan) is not officially recognized by the United Nations; see Political status of Taiwan.
³ Partly or significantly in Africa. ⁴ Partly or wholly reckoned in Oceania.

• • [ e]

Communist states

China (PRC)

Cuba

North Korea

Laos

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For the Radiohead song, see "The National Anthem".

A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a country's government as the official
..... Click the link for more information.

Aegukka is also the name of the national anthem of South Korea, although it is romanized differently. See Aegukga.

Aegukka is the national anthem of North Korea.
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capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has a second meaning based on an alternative sense of "capital") is the center of government.
..... Click the link for more information.

Pyongyang is the capital city of North Korea, located on the Taedong River, at (39.0333, 125.75). The official population of the city is not disclosed; given as 2,741,260 in 1993, it was reported as 2.5 and 3.
..... Click the link for more information.

The demographics of North Korea are difficult to assess due to the limited amount of data available from the country. The historical data is derived from the work done by United States scholar Nicholas Eberstadt and demographer Judith Banister in 1992.
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An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. It is typically the language used in a nation's legislative bodies, though the law in many nations requires that government documents be produced in other
..... Click the link for more information.

Korean}}}
Writing system: Exclusive use of Hangul (N. & S. Korea), mix of Hangul and Hanja (S. Korea), or Cyrillic alphabet (lesser used in Goryeomal)
Official status
Official language of: North Korea
South Korea
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A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. In English, the name of a people's language is often the same as this word, e.g., the "French" (language or people).
..... Click the link for more information.

government is a body that has the power to make and the authority to enforce rules and laws within a civil, corporate, religious, academic, or other organization or group.^[1]
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Communism
Basic concepts
Marxist philosophy
Class struggle
Proletarian internationalism
Communist party
Ideologies
Marxism  Leninism  Maoism
Trotskyism  Juche
Left  Council
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North Korea

This article is part of the series:
Politics of North Korea

Constitution
Juche

Eternal President: Kim Il-sung
National Defense Commission
Chairman: Kim Jong-il