North Korea

Communist stateIndependence 9 September 1948

North Korea as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 69 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalP'yongyang

Area120,540 km2

Populationas each edition published it

21.81 million July 1991 · 21.29m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.86% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 31.1 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 69.51 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.5 children per woman 1991 · 2.1 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

30 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 27 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $1,000 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition -10% in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Total area

120,540km2

land area: 120,410 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Mississippi

Land boundaries

1,671km total

China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, USSR 17 km

Coastline

2,495 km Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm;
Military boundary line: 50 nm in the Sea of Japan and the exclusive economic zone limit in the Yellow Sea (all foreign vessels and aircraft without permission are banned)

Disputes

short section of boundary with China is indefinite; Demarcation Line with South Korea

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

Natural resources

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

Land use

arable land 18%;
permanent crops 1%;
meadows and pastures NEGL%;
forest and woodland 74%;
other 7%;
includes irrigated 9%

Environment

mountainous interior is isolated, nearly inaccessible, and sparsely populated; late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding

Note

strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and USSR

People

14 fields

Population

21,814,656

(July 1991), growth rate 1.9% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

24Death

6Net migration

Religion

Buddhism and Confucianism; religious activities now almost nonexistent

Labor force

9,615,000;
agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64%;
shortage of skilled and unskilled labor (mid-1987 est.)

Organized labor

1,600,000 members; single-trade union system coordinated by the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea under the Central Committee

Government

Communist state

17 fields

Long-form name

Democratic People's Republic of Korea; abbreviated DPRK

Administrative divisions

9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 3 special cities* (jikhalsi, singular and plural);
Chagang-do, Hamgyong-namdo, Hamgyong-bukto, Hwanghae-namdo, Hwanghae-bukto, Kaesong-si*, Kangwon-do, Namp'o-si*, P'yongan-bukto, P'yongan-namdo, P'yongyang-si*, Yanggang-do

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

Executive branch

president, two vice presidents, premier, eleven vice premiers, State Administration Council (cabinet)

Legislative branch

unicameral Supreme People's Assembly (Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui)

Judicial branch

Central Court Chief of State--President KIM Il-song (since 28 December 1972);
Designated Successor KIM Chong-il (son of President, born 16 February 1942);
Head of Government--Premier YON Hyong-muk (since NA December 1988)

Political parties and leaders

major party--Korean Workers' Party (KWP), KIM Il-song, general secretary, and his son, KIM Chong-il, secretary, Central Committee;
Korean Social Democratic Party, YI Kye-paek, chairman;
Chondoist Chongu Party, CHONG Sin-hyok, chairman

Suffrage

universal at age 17 President--last held 24 May 1990 (next to be held 1994);
results--President KIM Il-song was reelected without opposition;
Supreme People's Assembly--last held on 24 May 1990 (next to be held 1994);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(687 total) the KWP approves a single list of candidates who are elected without opposition;
minor parties hold a few seats

Communists

KWP claims membership of about 3 million

Member of

FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, IFAD, IMF (observer), IMO, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Flag

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

More than 90% of this command economy is socialized; agricultural land is collectivized; and state-owned industry produces 95% of manufactured goods.

16 fields

External debt

$7billion

(1991)

Budget

Revenues

$15.6 billionExpenditures

$15.6 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)

More than 90% of this command economy is socialized; agricultural land is collectivized; and state-owned industry produces 95% of manufactured goods. State control of economic affairs is unusually tight even for a Communist country because of the small size and homogeneity of the society and the strict one-man rule of Kim.

Economic growth during the period 1984-90 averaged approximately 3%. Abundant natural resources and hydropower form the basis of industrial development. Output of the extractive industries includes coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals. Manufacturing emphasis is centered on heavy industry, with light industry lagging far behind.

Despite the use of high-yielding seed varieties, expansion of irrigation, and the heavy use of fertilizers, North Korea has not yet become self-sufficient in food production. Four consecutive years of poor harvests, coupled with distribution problems, have led to chronic food shortages. North Korea remains far behind South Korea in economic development and living standards.

GNP

$29.7 billion, per capita $1,390; real growth rate 2% (1990 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

Unemployment rate

officially none

Exports

$1.95 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--minerals, metallurgical products, agricultural products, manufactures;
partners--USSR, China, Japan, Hong Kong, FRG, Singapore

Imports

$2.85 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--petroleum, machinery and equipment, coking coal, grain;
partners--USSR, Japan, China, Hong Kong, FRG, Singapore

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Electricity

6,440,000 kW capacity; 40,250 million kWh produced, 1,890 kWh per capita (1990)

Industries

machine building, military products, electric power, chemicals, mining, metallurgy, textiles, food processing

Agriculture

accounts for about 25% of GNP and 36% of work force;
principal crops--rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses;
livestock and livestock products--cattle, hogs, pork, eggs;
not self-sufficient in grain;
fish catch estimated at 1.7 million metric tons in 1987

Economic aid

Communist countries, $1.4 billion a year in the 1980s

Currency

North Korean won (plural--won); 1 North Korean won (Wn) = 100 chon

Exchange rates

North Korean won (Wn) per US$1--2.2 (March 1991), 2.1 (January 1990), 2.3 (December 1989), 2.13 (December 1988), 0.94 (March 1987), NA (1986), NA (1985)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 68 ships by typeone square, one ship

passenger 1short-sea passenger 1passenger-cargo 1cargo 58petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 2bulk 4combination bulk 168 ships (1,000 GRT and over) totaling 465,801 GRT/709,442 DWT

Networkskm

Railroads

4,535 (1989)Inland waterways

2,253

Railroads: ; 3,870 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 665 km 0.762-meter narrow gauge; 159 km double track; 3,175 km electrified; government owned · Inland waterways: ; mostly navigable by small craft only