2010 Edition

Background

An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea was occupied by Japan beginning in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War. Five years later, Japan formally annexed the entire peninsula. Following World War II, Korea was split with the northern half coming under Soviet-sponsored Communist control. After failing in the Korean War (1950-53) to conquer the US-backed Republic of Korea (ROK) in the southern portion by force, North Korea (DPRK), under its founder President KIM Il Sung, adopted a policy of ostensible diplomatic and economic "self-reliance" as a check against outside influence. The DPRK demonized the US as the ultimate threat to its social system through state-funded propaganda, and molded political, economic, and military policies around the core ideological objective of eventual unification of Korea under Pyongyang's control. KIM's son, the current ruler KIM Jong Il, was officially designated as his father's successor in 1980, assuming a growing political and managerial role until the elder KIM's death in 1994. After decades of economic mismanagement and resource misallocation, the DPRK since the mid-1990s has relied heavily on international aid to feed its population. North Korea's history of regional military provocations, proliferation of military-related items, long-range missile development, WMD programs including tests of nuclear devices in 2006 and 2009, and massive conventional armed forces are of major concern to the international community.

Area

land

120,408 sq km

total

120,538 sq km

water

130 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Mississippi

Climate

temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer

Coastline

2,495 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Paektu-san 2,744 m

lowest point

Sea of Japan 0 m

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

party to

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

401 cu m/yr (2000)

total

9.02 cu km/yr (20%/25%/55%)

Geographic coordinates

40 00 N, 127 00 E

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

14,600 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries

China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km

total

1,673 km

Land use

arable land

22.4%

other

75.94% (2005)

permanent crops

1.66%

Location

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

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

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

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

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

volcanism

Changbaishan (elev. 2,744 m, 9,003 ft) (also known as Baitoushan, Baegdu or P'aektu-san), on the Chinese border, is considered historically active

Natural resources

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

Terrain

mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east

Total renewable water resources

77.1 cu km (1999)

Age structure

0-14 years: 21.3% (male 2,440,439/female 2,376,557) 15-64 years: 69.4% (male 7,776,889/female 7,945,399) 65 years and over: 9.4% (male 820,504/female 1,305,557) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

14.58 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

10.6 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

42.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

57.39 deaths/1,000 live births

total

50.15 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Korean

Life expectancy at birth

female

66.89 years (2010 est.)

male

61.53 years

total population

64.13 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

99%

male

99%

total population

99%

Median age

female

35.2 years (2010 est.)

male

32.5 years

total

33.9 years

Nationality

adjective

Korean

noun

Korean(s)

Net migration rate

-0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Population

22,757,275 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

0.389% (2010 est.)

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

Sex ratio

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.94 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

63% of total population (2008)

Administrative divisions

9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 2 municipalities (si, singular and plural)

municipalities

Nason-si, P'yongyang-si (Pyongyang)

provinces

Chagang-do (Chagang), Hamgyong-bukto (North Hamgyong), Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong), Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae), Hwanghae-namdo (South Hwanghae), Kangwon-do (Kangwon), P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan), P'yongan-namdo (South P'yongan), Yanggang-do (Yanggang)

Capital

geographic coordinates

39 01 N, 125 45 E

name

Pyongyang

time difference

UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

adopted 1948; revised several times most recently in 2009

Country name

abbreviation

DPRK

conventional long form

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

conventional short form

North Korea

local long form

Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk

local short form

Choson

Diplomatic representation from the US

none; note - Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang represents the US as consular protecting power

Diplomatic representation in the US

none; North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York

Executive branch

cabinet

Naegak (cabinet) members, except for Minister of People's Armed Forces, are appointed by SPA (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

KIM Jong Il (since July 1994); note - on 9 April 2009, rubberstamp Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) reelected KIM Jong Il chairman of the National Defense Commission, a position accorded nation's "highest administrative authority"; SPA reelected KIM Yong Nam in 2009 president of its Presidium also with responsibility of representing state and receiving diplomatic credentials

election results

KIM Jong Il and KIM Yong Nam were only nominees for positions and ran unopposed

elections

last election held in September 2003; date of next election NA

head of government

Premier CHOE Yong Rim (since 7 June 2010); Vice Premier HAN Kwang Bok (since 7 June 2010), Vice Premier JO Pyong Ju (since 7 June 2010), Vice Premier JON Ha Chol (since 7 June 2010), Vice Premier KANG Nung Su (since 7 June 2010), Vice Premier KIM Rak Hui (since 7 June 2010), Vice Premier PAK Su Gil (since 18 September 2009), Vice Premier RI Thae Nam (since 7 June 2010); Vice Premier RO Tu Chol (since 3 September 2003)

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; the broad red band symbolizes revolutionary traditions; the narrow white bands stands for purity, strength, and dignity; the blue bands signify sovereignty, peace, and friendship; the red star represents socialism

Government type

Communist state one-man dictatorship

Independence

15 August 1945 (from Japan)

International organization participation

ARF, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Judicial branch

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

Legal system

based on Prussian civil law system with Japanese influences and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected without opposition; a token number of seats are reserved for minor parties

elections

last held on 8 March 2009 (next to be held in March 2014)

National anthem

lyrics/music

PAK Se Yong/KIM Won Gyun note: adopted 1947; both North Korea and South Korea's anthems share the same name and have a vaguely similar melody but have different lyrics; the North Korean anthem is also known as "Ach'imun pinnara" (Let Morning Shine)

name

"Aegukka" (Patriotic Song)

National holiday

Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), 9 September (1948)

Political parties and leaders

major party - Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Jong Il]; minor parties - Chondoist Chongu Party [RYU Mi Yong] (under KWP control), Social Democratic Party [KIM Yong Dae] (under KWP control)

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

Suffrage

17 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Debt - external

$12.5 billion (2001 est.)

Economy - overview

North Korea, one of the world's most centrally directed and least open economies, faces chronic economic problems. Industrial capital stock is nearly beyond repair as a result of years of underinvestment and shortages of spare parts. Large-scale military spending draws off resources needed for investment and civilian consumption. Industrial and power output have declined in parallel from pre-1990 levels. Severe flooding in the summer of 2007 aggravated chronic food shortages caused by on-going systemic problems, including a lack of arable land, collective farming practices, and persistent shortages of tractors and fuel. Large-scale international food aid deliveries have allowed the people of North Korea to escape widespread starvation since famine threatened in 1995, but the population continues to suffer from prolonged malnutrition and poor living conditions. Since 2002, the government has allowed private "farmers' markets" to begin selling a wider range of goods. It also permitted some private farming - on an experimental basis - in an effort to boost agricultural output. In October 2005, the government tried to reverse some of these policies by forbidding private sales of grains and reinstituting a centralized food rationing system. By December 2005, the government terminated most international humanitarian assistance operations in North Korea (calling instead for developmental assistance only) and restricted the activities of remaining international and non-governmental aid organizations. In mid-2008, North Korea began receiving food aid under a US program to deliver 500,000 metric tons of food via the World Food Program and US nongovernmental organizations; but Pyongyang stopped accepting the aid in March 2009. In December 2009, North Korea carried out a redenomination of its currency, capping the amount of North Korean won that could be exchanged for the new notes, and limiting the exchange to a one-week window. A concurrent crackdown on markets and foreign currency use yielded severe shortages and inflation, forcing Pyongyang to ease the restrictions by February 2010. Nevertheless, firm political control remains the Communist government's overriding concern, which likely will inhibit changes to North Korea's current economic system.

Electricity - consumption

18.8 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

22.5 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Exchange rates

North Korean won (KPW) per US dollar (market rate) 1,800 (December 2010), 3,630 (December 2008), 140 (2007), 141 (2006)

Exports

$1.997 billion (2009) $2.062 billion (2008)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

China 42%, South Korea 38%, India 5% (2008)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

20.9%

industry

46.9%

services

32.1% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,800 (2009 est.) $1,900 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

-0.9% (2009 est.) 3.7% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$28 billion (2009 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$40 billion (2009 est.) $40 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars; North Korea does not publish reliable National Income Accounts data; the data shown here are derived from purchasing power parity (PPP) GDP estimates for North Korea that were made by Angus MADDISON in a study conducted for the OECD; his figure for 1999 was extrapolated to 2009 using estimated real growth rates for North Korea's GDP and an inflation factor based on the US GDP deflator; the results were rounded to the nearest $10 billion.

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$3.096 billion (2009) $3.574 billion (2008)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

China 57%, South Korea 25%, Russia 3%, Singapore 3% (2008)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

Labor force

12.2 million note: estimates vary widely (2009 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

35%

industry and services

65% (2008 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

16,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

13,890 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

118 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Broadcast media

no independent media; radios and televisions are pre-tuned to government stations; 4 government-owned television stations; the Korean Workers' Party owns and operates the Korean Central Broadcasting Station, and the state-run Voice of Korea operates an external broadcast service; the government prohibits listening to and jams foreign broadcasts (2008)

Internet country code

.kp

Internet hosts

3 (2010)

Telephone system

domestic

fiber-optic links installed down to the county level; telephone directories unavailable; mobile-cellular service, initiated in 2002, suspended in 2004; Orascom Telecom, an Egyptian company, launched mobile service on December 15, 2008 for the Pyongyang area with plans to expand nationwide

general assessment

adequate system; nationwide fiber-optic network; mobile-cellular service expanding beyond Pyongyang

international

country code - 850; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean, 1 Russian - Indian Ocean region); other international connections through Moscow and Beijing (2009)

Telephones - main lines in use

1.18 million (2008)

Airports

79 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

37 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 23 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 4 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

42 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 8 (2010)

Heliports

22 (2010)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 8, cargo 129, carrier 1, container 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 11, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 2

foreign-owned

19 (Belgium 1, China 1, Nigeria 1, Romania 1, Singapore 2, South Korea 1, Syria 6, UAE 6)

registered in other countries

5 (Mongolia 1, Sierra Leone 1, unknown 3) (2010)

total

158

Pipelines

oil 154 km (2009)

Ports and terminals

Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Namp'o, Senbong, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Wonsan

Railways

standard gauge

5,242 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2009)

total

5,242 km

Roadways

paved

724 km

total

25,554 km

unpaved

24,830 km (2006)

Waterways

2,250 km; (most navigable only by small craft) (2010)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 6,132,987 females age 16-49: 6,119,405 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 4,127,999 females age 16-49: 4,522,707 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

178,565 (2010 est.)

male

184,631

Military branches

North Korean People's Army: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force; civil security forces (2005)

Military expenditures

NA

Military service age and obligation

17 years of age (2004)

Disputes - international

risking arrest, imprisonment, and deportation, tens of thousands of North Koreans cross into China to escape famine, economic privation, and political oppression; North Korea and China dispute the sovereignty of certain islands in Yalu and Tumen rivers; Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic incidents in the Yellow Sea with South Korea which claims the Northern Limiting Line as a maritime boundary; North Korea supports South Korea in rejecting Japan's claim to Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima)

Illicit drugs

for years, from the 1970s into the 2000s, citizens of the Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea (DPRK), many of them diplomatic employees of the government, were apprehended abroad while trafficking in narcotics, including two in Turkey in December 2004; police investigations in Taiwan and Japan in recent years have linked North Korea to large illicit shipments of heroin and methamphetamine, including an attempt by the North Korean merchant ship Pong Su to deliver 150 kg of heroin to Australia in April 2003 page last updated on January 18, 2011 ======================================================================

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

undetermined (flooding in mid-2007 and famine during mid-1990s) (2007)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

North Korea is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; the most common form of trafficking involves North Korean women and girls who cross the border into China voluntarily; additionally, North Korean women and girls are lured out of North Korea to escape poor social and economic conditions by the promise of food, jobs, and freedom, only to be forced into prostitution, marriage, or exploitative labor arrangements once in China

tier rating

Tier 3 - North Korea does not fully comply with minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government does not acknowledge the existence of human rights abuses in the country or recognize trafficking, either within the country or transnationally; North Korea has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)