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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.

Contents 1 Geography 2 People 3 Government 4 Economy 5 Communications 6 Transportation 7 Military 8 Transnational Issues

Geography

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
water: 130 sq km
land: 120,410 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

Elevation extremes 

lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Paektu-san 2,744 m

Natural resources 

coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower

Land use 

arable land: 14.12%
permanent crops: 2.49%
other: 83.39% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 

14,600 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards 

late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional typhoons during the early fall

Environment - current issues 

water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; water-borne disease; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation

Environment - international agreements 

party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea

Geography - note 

strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated

People

Population 

22,224,195 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure 

0-14 years: 25.4% (male 2,888,478; female 2,747,133)
15-64 years: 67.4% (male 7,380,183; female 7,612,275)
65 years and over: 7.2% (male 527,256; female 1,068,870) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate 

1.1% (2002 est.)

Birth rate 

17.95 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate 

6.96 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate 

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio 

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate 

22.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth 

total population: 71.3 years
female: 74.44 years (2002 est.)
male: 68.31 years

Total fertility rate 

2.22 children born/woman (2002 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 Korean
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (1990 est.)

Government

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 

authoritarian socialist; one-man dictatorship

Capital 

Pyongyang

Administrative divisions 

9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 4 special cities* (si, singular and plural); Chagang-do (Chagang Province), Hamgyong-bukto (North Hamgyong Province), Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong Province), Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae Province), Hwanghae-namdo (South Hwanghae Province), Kaesong-si* (Kaesong City), Kangwon-do (Kangwon Province), Najin Sonbong-si*, Namp'o-si* (Namp'o City), P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan Province), P'yongan-namdo (South P'yongan Province), P'yongyang-si* (Pyongyang City), Yanggang-do (Yanggang Province)

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 Chong-il (since NA July 1994); note - in September 1998, KIM Chong-il was reelected Chairman of the National Defense Commission, a position accorded the nation's "highest administrative authority"; KIM Yong-nam was named President of the Supreme People's Assembly Presidium and given the responsibility of representing the state and receiving diplomatic credentials
elections: premier elected by the Supreme People's Assembly; election last held NA September 1998 (next to be held NA)
election results: HONG Song-nam elected premier; percent of Supreme People's Assembly vote - NA%
cabinet: Cabinet (Naegak), members, except for the Minister of People's Armed Forces, are appointed by the Supreme People's Assembly
head of government: Premier HONG Song-nam (since 5 September 1998); Vice Premiers CHO Ch'ang-tok (since NA), KWAK Pom-ki (since NA), Sin IL-nam (since NA April 2002)

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 26 July 1998 (next to be held NA 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - the KWP approves a single list of candidates who are elected without opposition; minor parties hold a few seats

Judicial branch 

Central Court (judges are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly)

Political parties and leaders 

Chondoist Chongu Party [YU Mi-yong, chairwoman]; Korean Social Democratic Party [KIM Yong-tae, chairman]; major party - Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Chong-il, General Secretary]

Political pressure groups and leaders 

NA

International organization participation 

ARF (dialogue partner), ESCAP, 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; note - North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York

Diplomatic representation from the US 

none (Swedish Embassy in P'yongyang 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

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 spare parts shortages. Industrial and power output have declined in parallel. Despite a good harvest in 2001, the nation faces its ninth year of food shortages because of a lack of arable land; collective farming; weather-related problems, including major drought in 2000; and chronic shortages of fertilizer and fuel. Massive international food aid deliveries have allowed the regime to escape mass starvation since 1995-96, but the population remains vulnerable to prolonged malnutrition and deteriorating living conditions. Large-scale military spending eats up resources needed for investment and civilian consumption. Recently, the regime has placed emphasis on earning hard currency, developing information technology, addressing power shortages, and attracting foreign aid, but in no way at the expense of relinquishing central control over key national assets or undergoing widespread market-oriented reforms. In 2002, heightened political tensions with key donor countries and general donor fatigue have held down the flow of desperately needed food aid and threaten fuel aid as well.

GDP 

purchasing power parity - $22 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate 

1% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita 

purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector 

agriculture: 30%
industry: 32%
services: 37% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line 

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share 

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 

NA%

Labor force 

9.6 million

Labor force - by occupation 

agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64%

Unemployment rate 

NA%

Budget 

revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Industries 

military products; machine building, electric power, chemicals; mining (coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food processing; tourism

Industrial production growth rate 

NA%

Electricity - production 

33.4 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source 

fossil fuel: 33%
hydro: 67%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption 

31.062 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports 

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports 

0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products 

rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs

Exports 

$826 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities 

minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures (including armaments); textiles and fishery products

Exports - partners 

Japan 36.3%, South Korea 21.5%, China 5.2% (2000)

Imports 

$1.874 billion c.i.f. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities 

petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment; textiles, grain

Imports - partners 

China 26.7%, South Korea 16.2%, Japan 12.3% (2000)

Debt - external 

$12 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid - recipient 

$NA; note - nearly $300 million in food aid alone from US, South Korea, Japan, and EU in 2001 plus much additional aid from the UN and non-governmental organizations

Currency 

North Korean won (KPW)

Currency code 

KPW

Exchange rates 

official: North Korean won per US dollar - 2.15 (December 2001), 2.15 (May 1994), 2.13 (May 1992), 2.14 (September 1991), 2.1 (January 1990); market: North Korean won per US dollar - 200 (December 2001)

Fiscal year 

calendar year

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use 

1.1 million (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular 

NA

Telephone system 

general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: 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

Railways 

total: 5,000 km
standard gauge: 4,095 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified; 159 km double-tracked)
narrow gauge: 665 km 0.762-m gauge
dual gauge: 240 km 1.435-m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails provide two gauges) (1996)

Highways 

total: 31,200 km
paved: 1,997 km
unpaved: 29,203 km (1996)

Waterways 

2,253 km
note: mostly navigable by small craft only

Pipelines 

crude oil 37 km; petroleum product 180 km

Ports and harbors 

Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch'aek, Kosong, Najin, Namp'o, Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Ungsang, Wonsan

Merchant marine 

total: 122 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 738,886 GRT/1,037,506 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Denmark 1, Greece 2, Pakistan 1, Singapore 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 102, combination bulk 1, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 6, refrigerated cargo 3, short-sea passenger 2

Airports 

87 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 39
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways 

total: 48
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 24
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 8 (2002)

Military

Military branches 

Korean People's Army (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Civil Security Forces

Military manpower - military age 

18 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - availability 

males age 15-49: 6,032,376 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service 

males age 15-49: 3,619,535 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually 

males: 179,136 (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure 

$5,124.1 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP 

31.3% (FY01)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international 

33-km section of boundary with China in the Paektu-san (mountain) area is indefinite; Demarcation Line with South Korea