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| Introduction | Korea, North |
| Background: | Japan occupied Korea in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War; five years later it formally annexed the entire peninsula. Following World War II, Korea was split, with the northern half coming under Communist domination and the southern portion becoming Western-oriented. KIM Chong-il has ruled North Korea since his father and the country's founder, president KIM Il-song, died in 1994. After decades of mismanagement, the North relies heavily on international food aid to feed its population while continuing to expend resources to maintain an army of about 1 million. North Korea's long-range missile development and research into nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and massive conventional armed forces are of major concern to the international community. In December 2002, North Korea repudiated a 1994 agreement that shut down its nuclear reactors and expelled UN monitors, further raising fears it would produce nuclear weapons. |
| People | Korea, North |
| Population: | 22,697,553 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 24.6% (male 2,836,991; female 2,755,127) 15-64 years: 67.8% (male 7,575,590; female 7,812,878) 65 years and over: 7.6% (male 583,463; female 1,133,504) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 31.4 years male: 30.2 years female: 32.6 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.98% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 16.77 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 6.99 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.52 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 24.84 deaths/1,000 live births female: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 26.59 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 71.08 years male: 68.38 years female: 73.92 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 2.2 children born/woman (2004 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% |
| Government | Korea, North |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Democratic People's Republic of Korea conventional short form: North Korea local short form: none local long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk note: the North Koreans generally use the term "Choson" to refer to their country abbreviation: DPRK |
| Government type: | Communist state one-man dictatorship |
| Capital: | Pyongyang |
| Administrative divisions: | 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 4 municipalities (si, singular and plural) : provinces: Chagang-do (Chagang Province), Hamgyong-bukto (North Hamgyong Province), Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong Province), Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae Province), Hwanghae-namdo (South Hwanghae Province), Kangwon-do (Kangwon Province), P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan Province), P'yongan-namdo (South P'yongan Province), Yanggang-do (Yanggang Province) : municipalites: Kaesong-si (Kaesong City), Najin Sonbong-si, Namp'o-si (Namp'o City), P'yongyang-si (Pyongyang City) |
| Independence: | 15 August 1945 (from Japan) |
| National holiday: | 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 German 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, KIM Jong Il was reelected Chairman of the National Defense Commission, a position accorded the nation's "highest administrative authority"; KIM Yong Nam was reelected President of the Supreme People's Assembly Presidium and given the responsibility of representing the state and receiving diplomatic credentials election results: PAK Pong Ju elected premier; percent of Supreme People's Assembly vote - NA% head of government: Premier PAK Pong Ju (since 3 September 2003); Vice Premiers KWAK Pom Gi (since 5 September 1998), JON Sung Hun (since 3 September 2003), RO Tu Chol (since 3 September 2003) cabinet: Cabinet (Naegak), members, except for the Minister of People's Armed Forces, are appointed by the Supreme People's Assembly elections: premier elected by the Supreme People's Assembly; election last held in September 2003 (next to be held in September 2008) |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; the KWP approves a list of candidates who are elected without opposition; some seats are held by minor parties elections: last held 3 August 2003 (next to be held in August 2008) |
| Judicial branch: | Central Court (judges are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly) |
| Political parties and leaders: | Chondoist Chongu Party [RYU Mi Yong, chairwoman]; Social Democratic Party [KIM Yong Dae, chairman]; major party - Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Jong Il, general secretary] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | ARF, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | none; North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | none (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 |
| Communications | Korea, North |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 1.1 million (2001) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | NA |
| 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 16, FM 14, shortwave 12 (1999) |
| Radios: | 3.36 million (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 38 (1999) |
| Televisions: | 1.2 million (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .kp |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2000) |
| Internet users: | NA |
| Transportation | Korea, North |
| Railways: | total: 5,214 km standard gauge: 5,214 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2003) |
| Highways: | total: 31,200 km paved: 1,997 km unpaved: 29,203 km (1999 est.) |
| Waterways: | 2,250 km note: most navigable only by small craft (2004) |
| Pipelines: | oil 154 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: | Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch'aek, Kosong, Najin, Namp'o, Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Ungsang, Wonsan |
| Merchant marine: | total: 203 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 921,577 GRT/1,339,929 DWT by type: bulk 6, cargo 166, combination bulk 2, container 3, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 3, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 11, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea/passenger 1 registered in other countries: 4 (2003 est.) foreign-owned: Albania 1, Belize 1, Bolivia 1, Cambodia 3, Cyprus 1, Egypt 3, Germany 1, Greece 4, Italy 1, Lebanon 2, Marshall Islands 1, Pakistan 1, Portugal 1, Romania 8, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Syria 9, Tanzania 1, Tunisia 1, Turkey 5, Ukraine 2, United States 3 |
| Airports: | 78 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 35 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 23 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 3 (2003 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 43 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20 under 914 m: 8 (2003 est.) 914 to 1,523 m: 14 |
| Heliports: | 19 (2003 est.) |
| Military | Korea, North |
| Military branches: | Korean People's Army (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Civil Security Forces |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 17 years of age (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 6,181,038 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 3,694,855 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 189,014 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $5,217.4 million (FY02) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 22.9% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Korea, North |
| Disputes - international: | with China, certain islands in Yalu and Tumen rivers are in uncontested dispute; a section of boundary around Paektu-san (mountain) is indefinite; China has been attempting to stop mass illegal migration of North Koreans escaping famine, economic privation, and oppression into northern China; Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic maritime disputes with South Korea |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons: | IDPs: 50,000-250,000 (government repression and famine) (2004) |
| Illicit drugs: | for years from the 1970's into the 1990's, 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; in recent years, police investigations in Taiwan and Japan have linked North Korea to large illicit shipments of heroin and methamphetamine, with the attempt by the North Korean merchant ship Pong Su to deliver 125 kg of heroin to Australia in April 2003 the most recent example of Pyongyang's involvement in the drug trade; all indications point to North Korea emerging as an important regional source of illicit drugs targeting markets in Japan, Taiwan, the Russian Far East, and China |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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