North Korea

Democratic People's Republic of KoreaChoson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk

Communist state

North Korea as the 1998 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 96 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

Position40 00 N, 127 00 E

Area120,540 sq km

LocationEastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula

Populationas each edition published it

21.23 million July 1998 est. · 21.29m in 1990

Population growth% a year

-0.03% 1998 est. · 1.86% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 31.1 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

51.32 years 1998 est. · 69.51 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.6 children per woman 1998 est. · 2.1 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

87.83 deaths per 1,000 live births 1998 est. · 27 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$900 1997 est. · $1,000 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

-3.7% 1997 est. · -10% in 1993

Geography

Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula | bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South | Korea

18 fields

Land useshare of 120,540 sq km

arable land 14%permanent crops 2%permanent pastures 0%forests and woodland 61%other 23% (1993 est.)irrigated 14,600 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

120,540sq km

land: 120,410 sq kmwater: 130 sq kmslightly smaller than Mississippi

Coastline

2,495km

territorial sea: 12 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmmilitary 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

Land boundaries

1,673km

border countries: China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km

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

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

Natural hazards

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

Environment-current issues

localized air pollution attributable to inadequate industrial controls;
water pollution;
inadequate supplies of potable water

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, nearly inaccessible, and sparsely populated

People

15 fields

Population

21,234,387

(July 1998 est.)growth rate: -0.03% (1998 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1998 est.)

Birth

15.3Death

15.57Net migration

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1998 est.)51.32

48.88 · 53.88

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1990 est.)99%

99% · 99%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write Korean

Age structure

0-14 years:: 26% (male 2,800,857; female 2,669,250)
15-64 years:: 68% (male 7,089,039; female 7,406,901)
65 years and over:: 6% (male 387,011; female 881,329) (July 1998 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.44 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate

87.83 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.6 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Korean(s)
adjective:: Korean

Ethnic groups

racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese

Religions

Buddhism and Confucianism, some Christianity and syncretic Chondogyo note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom

Languages

Korean

Government

Communist state; KIM Chong-il [de facto]; KANG Song-san is premier, but is in ill health

18 fields

Country name

conventional long form:: Democratic People's Republic of Korea
conventional short form:: North Korea
local long form:: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk
local short form:: none

note: the North Koreans generally use the term "Choson" to refer to their country

abbreviation:: DPRK

Data code

Government type

Communist state; one-man dictatorship

National capital

P'yongyang

Administrative divisions

9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 3 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), Namp'o-si* (Namp'o City), P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan Province), P'yongan-namdo (South P'yongan Province), P'yongyang-si* (P'yongyang City), Yanggang-do (Yanggang Province)

Independence

9 September 1948 Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Foundation Day note: 15 August 1945, date of independence from the Japanese and celebrated in North Korea as National Liberation Day

National holiday

Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Foundation Day, 9 September (1948)

Constitution

adopted 1948, completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in April 1992

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 [de facto];
note-President KIM Il-song was reelected without opposition 24 May 1990 and died 8 July 1994, leaving his son KIM Chong-il as designated successor;
KIM Chong-il became General Secretary of the Korean Workers' Party on 8 October 1997, but has not assumed the presidency
head of government:: KANG Song-san is premier, but is in ill health; Vice Premier HONG Song-nam has been acting premier since NA February 1997
cabinet:: State Administration Council appointed by the Supreme People's Assembly
elections:: premier elected by the Supreme People's Assembly
election results:: NA

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 7-9 April 1990 (next to be held NA);
note-the term of the Assembly expired in April 1995 without a new election and it has not been convened since the death of KIM Il-song in July 1994
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

major party-Korean Workers' Party (KWP), KIM Chong-il, General Secretary;
Korean Social Democratic Party, KIM Pyong-sik, chairman;
Chondoist Chongu Party, YU Mi-yong, chairwoman

International organization participation

ESCAP, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), 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, headed by YI Hyong-chol

Diplomatic representation from the US

none

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

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

28 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

-$21.8billion

purchasing power parity · (1997 est.)

GDP per capita, PPP

-$900

purchasing power parity · (1997 est.)

Real growth rate

-3.7%

(1997 est.)industrial production growth: -7% to -9% (1992 est.)

Labor force

9.615million

by occupation: agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64%

GDP-composition by sector(1995 est.)

agriculture 25%industry 60%services 15% (1995 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$19.3 billionExpenditures

$19.3 billion (1992 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Fixed lines

30,000

(1990 est.)

Economy-overview

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 rule of KIM Il-song in the past and now his son, KIM Chong-il.

Economic growth during the period 1984-88 averaged 2%-3%, but output declined by an average of 4%-5% or more annually during 1989-97 because of systemic problems and disruptions in economic and technological links with the former USSR and China. The leadership has insisted on maintaining its high level of military outlays from a shrinking economic pie.

Moreover, a serious drawdown in inventories and critical shortages in the energy sector have led to increasing interruptions in industrial production. Abundant mineral resources and hydropower have formed the basis of industrial development since World War II. Manufacturing is centered on heavy industry, including military industry, with light industry lagging far behind.

Despite the use of improved seed varieties, expansion of irrigation, and the heavy use of fertilizers, North Korea is not yet self-sufficient in food production. Indeed, a shortage of arable lands, several years of poor harvests, systemic inefficiencies, a cumbersome distribution system, and extensive floods in 1995-96 followed by a severe drought in 1997 have resulted in increasingly serious food shortages.

Substantial grain shipments from Japan and South Korea are offsetting a portion of the losses. North Korea remains far behind South Korea in economic development and living standards.

Inflation rate-consumer price index

NA%

Unemployment rate

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

Electricity-capacity

9.5 million kW (1995)

Electricity-production

35.2 billion kWh (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita

1,499 kWh (1995)

Agriculture-products

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

Exports

total value:: $912 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities:: minerals, metallurgical products, agricultural and fishery products, manufactures (including armaments)
partners:: China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Hong Kong, Russia

Imports

total value:: $1.95 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
commodities:: petroleum, grain, coking coal, machinery and equipment, consumer goods
partners:: China, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Russia, Singapore

Debt-external

$12 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: an estimated $200 million to $300 million in aid from US, South Korea, Japan, and EU in 1997

Currency

1 North Korean won (Wn) = 100 chon

Exchange rates

North Korean won (Wn) per US$1-2.15 (May 1994), 2.13 (May 1992), 2.14 (September 1991), 2.1 (January 1990), 2.3 (December 1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

Telephone system

system is believed to be available principally for government business

domestic:: NA
international:: satellite earth stations-1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region); other international connections through Moscow and Beijing

Radio broadcast stations

AM 18, FM 0, shortwave 0

Radios

3.5 million

Television broadcast stations

Televisions

400,000 (1992 est.)

Transportation

9 fields

Merchant marine, 105 ships by typeships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 663,527 GRT/930,587 DWT

bulk 7cargo 87combination bulk 1multifunction large-load carrier 1oil tanker 3passenger 3passenger-cargo 1short-sea passenger 2note: North Korea owns an additional 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 15,143 DWT operating under the registry of Honduras (1997 est.)

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m

over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m

total: 27 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 12

Networkskm

Highways

31,200Railways

5,000Waterways

2,253

Highways: paved: 1,997 km · unpaved: 29,203 km (1996 est.) · Railways: standard gauge: 4,095 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified; 159 km double track) · narrow gauge: 665 km 0.762-m gauge · dual gauge: 240 km (standard and broad gauge) (1996 est.) · Waterways: ; mostly navigable by small craft only

Railways

total:: 5,000 km
standard gauge:: 4,095 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified; 159 km double track)
narrow gauge:: 665 km 0.762-m gauge
dual gauge:: 240 km (standard and broad gauge) (1996 est.)