North Korea

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

Communist state

North Korea as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 106 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

21.39 million July 1999 est. · 21.29m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.45% 1999 est. · 1.86% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 31.1 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

70.07 years 1999 est. · 69.51 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.3 children per woman 1999 est. · 2.1 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

25.52 deaths per 1,000 live births 1999 est. · 27 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$1,000 1998 est. · $1,000 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

-5% 1998 est. · -10% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

At the end of World War II, the US and the Soviet Union agreed that US troops would accept the surrender of Japanese forces south of the 38th parallel and the Soviet Union would do so in the north. In 1948, the UN proposed nationwide elections; after P'yongyang's refusal to allow UN inspectors in the north, elections were held in the south and the Republic of Korea was established. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea was established the following month in the north.

Communist North Korean forces invaded South Korea in 1950. US and other UN forces intervened to defend the South and Chinese forces intervened on behalf of the North. After a bitter three-year war, an armistice was signed in 1953, establishing a military demarcation line near the 38th parallel. The North's heavy investment in military forces has produced an army of 1 million troops equipped with thousands of tanks and artillery pieces. Despite growing economic hardships, North Korea continues to devote a significant portion of its scarce resources to the military.

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 nmnote: 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

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

21,386,109

(July 1999 est.)growth rate: 1.45% (1999 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1999 est.)

Birth

21.37Death

6.92Net migration

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1999 est.)70.07

67.41 · 72.86

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 2,800,748; female 2,666,207)
15-64 years:: 68% (male 7,143,969; female 7,447,147)
65 years and over:: 6% (male 412,161; female 915,877) (1999 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:: 0.45 male(s)/female
total population:: 0.94 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

25.52 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.3 children born/woman (1999 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; Premier HONG Song-nam (since 5 September 1998)

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

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

Foundation Day, 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;
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 Young-nam was named President of the Supreme People's Assembly Presidium and given the responsibility of representing the state and receiving diplomatic credentials
head of government:: Premier HONG Song-nam (since 5 September 1998)
cabinet:: renamed DPRK Cabinet (naegak) on 5 September 1998;
was previously called the State Administrative Council;
Cabinet 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 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 26 July 1998 (next to be held NA)
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 chairwoman]

International organization participation

ESCAP, FAO, 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

North Korea is the world's most centrally | planned economy.

31 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$1,000

purchasing power parity? · (1998 est.)

Real growth rate

-5%

(1998 est.)industrial production growth: -7% to -9% (1992 est.)

Labor force

9.615million

Debt--external

$12billion

(1996 est.)

GDP--composition by sector(1995 est.)

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

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

China

33%

28%

Japan

17%

21%

South Korea

Russia

Germany

Exports $743 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)Imports $1.83 billion (c.i.f., 1997 est.)(1995)

Budget

Revenues

$19.3 billionExpenditures

$19.3 billion (1992 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Electricity

fossil fuel 35.29%hydro 64.71%nuclear 0% · other 0%

Electricity production

34 billion (1996)Electricity consumption

34 billion (1996)

Economy--overview

North Korea is the world's most centrally planned economy. Agricultural land is collectivized, state-owned industry produces nearly all manufactured goods, and heavy and military industries have long been developed at the expense of light and consumer industries. Open-air markets since 1995 have gained increasing importance in the distribution of food and consumer goods but private production remains extremely limited.

Total economic output has fallen steadily since 1991--perhaps by as much as one-half--when the country's economic ties to the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc collapsed. The slide has also been fueled by serious energy shortages, aging industrial facilities, and a lack of maintenance and new investment.

The leadership has tried to maintain a high level of military spending but the armed forces have nonetheless been affected by the general economic decline. Although North Korea has long depended on imports to meet food needs, serious fertilizer shortages in recent years have combined with structural constraints--such as a shortage of arable land and a short growing season--to reduce staple grain output to more than 1 million tons below what the country needs to meet even minimal demand.

Widespread famine and disease have cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of North Koreans in 1994-98. The US, China, the international community, and nongovernmental organizations have sent aid but the problems remain extremely serious.

GDP

purchasing power parity--$21.8 billion (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

Labor force--by occupation

agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64%

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

Agriculture--products

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

Exports

$743 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)

Exports--commodities

minerals, metallurgical products, agricultural and fishery products, manufactures (including armaments)

Imports

$1.83 billion (c.i.f., 1997 est.)

Imports--commodities

petroleum, grain, coking coal, machinery and equipment, consumer goods

Economic aid--recipient

$NA; note?an estimated $200 million to $300 million in humanitarian aid from US, South Korea, Japan, and EU in 1997

Currency

1 North Korean won (Wn) = 100 chon

Exchange rates

official:: 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);
market: North Korean won (Wn) per US$1--200

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Fixed lines

1.4 million

(1998 est.)

Telephone system

domestic:: system is being expanded with installation of fiber-optic cable nationwide;
access traditionally reserved for official and business subscribers;
public access is expected to increase
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 27, FM 14, shortwave 3

Radios

4.7 million

Television broadcast stations

Televisions

2 million

Transportation

9 fields

Merchant marine, 110 ships by type(1998 est.)

bulk 8cargo 91combination bulk 1multifunction large-load carrier 1oil tanker 4passenger 2passenger-cargo 1short-sea passenger 2

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: broad gauge: NA 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 1.435-m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (1996 est.) · Waterways: ; mostly navigable by small craft only

Railways

broad gauge:: NA km
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 1.435-m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (1996 est.)