North Korea
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in eastern Asia, covering the northern half of the peninsula of Korea. To the south its borders South Korea with which it formed a single nation until 1948, while its northern border is predominantly with China, with a small section bordering Russia. It is more commonly known locally as Buk Chosŏn ("North Chosŏn"; 북조선; 北朝鮮). Buk Han ("North Han"; 북한; 北韓) is commonly used in South Korea, as is the revised romanisation of Chosun Minjujui Inmin Gonghwa-guk for the official name.
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| National motto: One is sure to win if he believes in and depends upon the people | ||||
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| Official language | Korean | |||
| Capital | P'yŏngyang | |||
| Chairman, National Defense Commission | Kim Jong Il2 | |||
| President, Supreme People's Assembly Presidium | Kim Yong-nam1 | |||
| Premier | Hong Song-nam | |||
| Area - Total - % water | Ranked 97th 120,540 km² 0.1% | |||
| Population
- Total (2002) - Density | Ranked 49th
22,224,195 182.25/km² | |||
| Independence
- Date | From Japan
August 15, 1945 | |||
| Currency | North Korean won | |||
| Time zone | UTC +9 | |||
| National anthem | A ch'im un pinnara, i kangsan ungum e | |||
| Internet TLD | None (.KP is reserved) | |||
| Calling Code | 850 | |||
| (1) Kim Yong-nam is the de facto head of state; Kim Il-sung is "eternal president" | ||||
| (2) Kim Jong Il is the most powerful figure in the DPRK; the Chairman of the National Defence Commission is accorded the nation's "highest administrative authority" | ||||
| Table of contents |
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2 Politics 3 Provinces and Cities 4 Geography 5 Economy 6 Demographics 7 Culture & Tourism 8 Miscellaneous topics 9 External Links 10 Further reading |
Japanese occupation of Korea ended after World War II in 1945, after which Korea was occupied by the Soviet Union north of the 38th parallel and by the United States south of the 38th parallel. United States suppression of an existing network of local Peoples Committees and rising Cold War tensions led to, in 1948, the establishment of two governments claiming to be the sole government of all of Korea: a communist North and a United States-controlled South, led by anti-communist Syngman Rhee. In June 1950, the North Korean Peoples Army attacked, launching the Korean War. The United States-backed South and the Chinese-backed North eventually reached a stalemate and an armistice was signed in 1953, splitting the peninsula along a demilitarised zone along the 38th parallel, which had been the original demarcation line.
North Korea was ruled from 1948 by Kim Il Sung until his death in 1994. North Korea is officially lead by a Prime Minister, but real power lies with his son Kim Jong Il and the military. Despite a detente in international relations, including a historic North-South summit in June 2000, tensions have recently increased in the wake of United States failure to comply with the 1994 Agreed Framework and the resumption of the North's nuclear weapons programme.
North Korea has a government dominated by the communist Korean Workers' Party (KWP), to which all government officials belong, though minor political parties exist. The exact structure of power is somewhat unclear. Following the death of Kim Il Sung, his son, Kim Jong Il, was named General Secretary of the Korean Workers' Party in October 1997, and in 1998, the legislature reconfirmed him as Chairman of the National Defence Commission and declared that position as the "highest office of state."
North Korea's 1972 constitution was amended in late 1992 and again in 1998. The government is led by the prime minister and, in theory, a super cabinet called the Central People's Committee (CPC), the government's top policymaking body headed by the president, who also nominates the other committee members. The CPC makes policy decisions and supervises the cabinet, or State Administration Council (SAC). The SAC is headed by a premier and is the dominant administrative and executive agency.
Officially, the parliament, the Supreme People's Assembly (최고인민회의 ; Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui), is the highest organ of state power. Its 687 members are elected every four years by popular vote. Usually only two meetings are held annually, each lasting a few days, though it mostly ratifies decisions made by the ruling KWP. A standing committee elected by the Assembly performs legislative functions when the Assembly is not in session.
Korea forms a peninsula that extends some 1,100 km from the Asian mainland, flanked by the Yellow Sea and the Korea Bay to the west and the East Sea of Korea (East Sea/Sea of Japan; see Notice on Talk page) to the east, and terminated by the Korea Strait and the East China Sea to the south. The northern landscape consists mostly of hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys in the north and east, coastal plains are found most prominently in the west. The highest point in Korea is the Paektu-san at 2,744 m. Major rivers include the Tumen and the Yalu that form the northern border with Chinese Manchuria.
The local climate is relatively temperate, with precipitation heavier in summer during a short rainy season called jangma, and winters that can be bitterly cold on occasion. North Korea's capital and largest city is P'yongyang, other major cities include Kaesong in the south, Sinuiju in the northwest, Wonsan and Hamhung in the east and Chongjin in the north.
Following the official ideology of juche (self-reliance), North Korea has developed independently of global capitalism economies. The resulting economic development and the government's reluctance to publicise economic data limit the amount of reliable information available. Publicly-owned industry produces nearly all manufactured goods, and the regime continues to devote its focus on heavy and military industries at the expense of light and consumer industries.
Due to a five-decade United States embargo and the collapse of the Soviet Bloc, economic conditions have stagnated. The country's deepening economic slide has been fueled by acute energy shortages worsened by the United States refusal to implement the 1994 Agreed Framework, which required petroleum shipments and the construction of lightwater nuclear reactors under KEDO. United States containment policies have made it difficult for the government to maintain aging industrial facilities and obtain new investment. The agricultural outlook, though slightly improved over previous years, remains weak. The combined effects of serious fertilizer shortages, successive natural disasters, and structural constraints - such as marginal arable land and a short growing season - have reduced staple grain output to more than 1 million tons less than what the country needs to meet even minimum international requirements.
The steady flow of international food aid has been critical in meeting the population's basic food needs. The impact of other forms of humanitarian assistance such as medical supplies and agricultural assistance largely has been limited to local areas. Even with aid, malnutrition rates are among the world's highest and estimates of mortality range in the hundreds of thousands or even millions as a direct result of malnutrition and famine-related diseases.
North Korea's population is one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogenous in the world, with only very small Chinese and Japanese communities. The Korean language is not a member of a wider linguistic family, though links to Japanese and Altaic languages are being considered. The Korean writing system, Hangeul, was invented in the 15th century by King Sejong the Great to replace the system of borrowed Chinese characters, known as Hanja in Korea, which are no longer officially in use in the North. North Korea continues to use the McCune-Reischauer romanisation of Korean, in contrast to the South's revised version.
Korea has a Buddhist and Confucianist heritage, with Christian and traditional Chondogyo ("Heavenly Way") communities. Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, was the center of Christian activity before the Korean War. Due to one one of the highest literacy rates in the world, autonomous religious activities are now almost nonexistent in the North.
An official escort/guide is compulsory when visiting the country. The government welcomes visitors and provides official tours of the country throughout the year. Citizens of the US and South Korea are allowed to visit with a valid visa (South Korean citizens must receive permission from their own government or may be imprisoned under the draconian National Security Laws upon return). United States citizens must enter North Korea through a third country since the U.S. government refuses to sign a peace treaty and normalize relations with the D.P.R.K. In recent years, numerous independent tours have been established to such scenic locations as Mt. Kumgang and Pyongyang.
History
For pre-1945 history, see Korea
Main article: History of North KoreaPolitics
Main article: Politics of North KoreaProvinces and Cities
Main article: Administrative divisions of Korea. For historical information, see Provinces of Korea and Special cities of Korea.
Ch'ŏngjin City (청진시; 淸津市) used to be a self-governing city, but is now part of North Hamgyŏng Province. The source for this section is located at Chosun Ilbo's http://nk.chosun.com/map/map.html?ACT=geo_01 page (but is only in Korean).Geography
Main article: Geography of North KoreaEconomy
Main article: Economy of North KoreaDemographics
Main article: Demographics of North KoreaCulture & Tourism
Main article: Culture of North Korea
| Date | English Name | Local Name | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day | ||
| February 16 | Kim Jong Il's Birthday | ||
| April 15 | Kim Il-Sung's Birthday | ||
| May 1 | Day of Work | ||
| August 15 | Independence Day | ||
| September 9 | Founding of the DPRK | ||
| October 10 | Founding of the KWP | ||
| December 27 | Proclamation of the socialistic constitution |
Miscellaneous topics
External Links
Further reading
