1985 Edition

Agriculture

main crops — corn, rice, vegetables; food shortages — meat, cooking oils; production of foodstuffs adequate for domestic needs Korea, South

Aid

economic and military aid from the USSR and China

Aircraft

70 11-28 bombers, 20 SU-7 fighter/ground attack, 290 MIG-15/-17, 700 MIG1 9, 1 60 MIG-2 1 , 250 transports, 60 helicopters, 190 jet trainers, 4 SAM brigades with 250 SA-2 in 40 sites 140km ndary representation <s necessarily authoritative Cheju-dof **• Stc rtfionilmip VIII Land 98,500 km2; slightly larger than Indiana; 66% forest, 23% arable (22% cultivated), 10% urban and other

Airfields

19 total; 16 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways, 4 with runways 1,2202,439 m

Branches

Supreme People's Assembly theoretically supervises legislative and judicial function; State Administration Council (cabinet) oversees ministerial operations

North Korean People's Army (consists of the army, navy, and air force)

Capital

P'yongyang

Civil air

2 Trislanders; however, no major transport aircraft

Coal

50 million tons (1984)

Coastline

2,495 km People

2,413 km People

Communisms

KWP claims membership of about 2 million, or about 11% of population

Crude steel

4.3 million metric tons produced (1983), 224 kg per capita

Elections

election to SPA every four years, but this constitutional provision not necessarily followed — last election February 1982 Political party and leaders: Korean Workers' Party (KWP); Kim Il-song, General Secretary, and his son, Kim Chong-il, Secretary

Electric power

6,500,000 kW capacity (1984); 35.5 billion kWh produced (1984), 1, 810 kWh per capita

Ethnic divisions

racially homogeneous

homogeneous; small Chinese minority (approx. 20,000)

Exports

$1.40 billion (1983); minerals, metallurgical products, agricultural products, manufactures

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

GNP

$19.6 billion (1984), $998 per capita

Government leaders

KIM Il-song, President (since December 1972); KANG Song-san, Premier (since January 1984)

Highways

about 20,280 km (1980); 98.5% gravel, crushed stone, or earth surface; 1.5% concrete or bituminous

Imports

$1.50 billion (1983); petroleum, machinery and equipment, coking coal, grain

Inland waterways

2,253 km; mostly navigable by small craft only

Labor force

6.1 million (1980); 48% agricultural, 52% nonagricultural; shortage of skilled and unskilled labor Government

Land boundaries

1,675 km Water

241 km Water

Language

Korean

Korean; English widely taught in high school

Legal system

based on German civil law system with Japanese influences and Communist legal theory; constitution adopted 1948 and revised 1972; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Limits of territorial waters

12 nm and 3 nm in Korea Strait (12 nm fishing zone)

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

12 nm (economic, including fishing, 200 nm; military 50 nm)

Literacy

95% est.

over 90%

Major ground units

9 corps headquarters, 2 armored divisions, 3 motorized infantry divisions, 35 infantry divisions, 5 armored brigades, 4 infantry brigades, 1 00,000 special forces, 2 tank regiments, 5 infantry regiments, 250 artillery battalions, 80 multiple rocket battalions, 5 FROG battalions, 5 rivercrossing regiments

Major industries

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

Major trade partners

total trade turnover $2.9 billion (1983); 54% with Communist countries, 46% with non-Communist countries

Member of

FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, IPU, ITU, NAM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO; offici?! observer status at UN; does not hold UN membership Economy

Military manpower

males 15-49, 4,641,000; 2,843,000 fit for military service; 225,000 reach military age (18) annually

Monetary conversion rate

2 wons=US$l (December 1984)

National holiday

9 September

Nationality

noun — Korean(s); adjective — Korean

noun — Korean(s); adjective — Korean

Official name

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Personnel

army 700,000 (reserves 230,000), navy 33,500 (reserves 40,000), air force 51,000, security forces 38,000, civilian militia 1,760,000 .

Pipelines

crude oil, 37 km

Political subdivisions

nine provinces, four special cities (P'yongyang, Kaesong, Chongjin, and Nampo)

Population

20,082,000 (July 1985), average annual growth rate 2.3%

42,643,000 (July 1985), average annual growth rate 1.5%

Ports

6 major, 26 minor Defense Forces

Railroads

4,535 km total operating in 1980; 3,870 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 665 km 0.762-meter narrow gauge, 159 km double track; about 2,940 km electrified; government owned

Religion

Buddhism and Confucianism; religious activities now almost nonexistent

strong Confucian tradition; pervasive folk religion (Shamanism); Buddhism (including estimated 20,000 members of Soka Gakkai); Chondokyo (religion of the heavenly way), eclectic religion with nationalist overtones founded in 19th century, claims about 1.5 million adherents

Ships

21 submarines, 4 frigates, 18 missile boats, 32 large patrol craft, 333 fast attack craft, 30 coastal patrol boats, 99 landing craft

Shortages

complex machinery and quipment, coking coal, coal, petroleum, electric power, transport

Suffrage

universal at age 17

Telecommunications

1 AM broadcast station; 1,400 telephones (2.33 per 100 popl.) 125km Yellow See Land 121,129 km2; slightly smaller than Mississippi; 74% forest, scrub, and brush; 17% arable and cultivated; remainder waste and urban

Type

Communist state; one-man rule