2013 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 Il Sung's son, 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. KIM Jong Un was publicly unveiled as his father's successor in September 2010. Following KIM Jong Il's death in December 2011, the regime began to take actions to transfer power to KIM Jong Un and KIM has now assumed many his father's former titles and duties. After decades of economic mismanagement and resource misallocation, the DPRK since the mid-1990s has relied heavily on international aid to feed its population. The DPRK began to ease restrictions to allow semi-private markets, starting in 2002, but then sought to roll back the scale of economic reforms in 2005 and 2009. 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, 2009, and 2013; and massive conventional armed forces are of major concern to the international community.

Area

120,538 sq km 120,408 sq km 130 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

Sea of Japan 0 m Paektu-san 2,744 m

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

Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution Law of the Sea

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)

8.66 cu km/yr (10%/13%/76%) 360.6 cu m/yr (2005)

per capita

360.6 cu m/yr (2005)

total

8.66 cu km/yr (10%/13%/76%)

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

1,671.5 km China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 17.5 km

border countries

China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 17.5 km

total

1,671.5 km

Land use

19.08% 1.7% 79.22% (2011)

arable land

19.08%

other

79.22% (2011)

permanent crops

1.7%

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

12 nm 200 nm 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

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional typhoons during the early fall Changbaishan (elev. 2,744 m) (also known as Baitoushan, Baegdu or P'aektu-san), on the Chinese border, is considered historically active

volcanism

Changbaishan (elev. 2,744 m) (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

77.15 cu km (2011)

Age structure

21.7% (male 2,726,275/female 2,650,143) 16.4% (male 2,059,388/female 2,005,987) 43.8% (male 5,411,221/female 5,415,744) 8.5% (male 988,922/female 1,108,156) 9.5% (male 798,363/female 1,556,208) (2013 est.)

0-14 years

21.7% (male 2,726,275/female 2,650,143)

15-24 years

16.4% (male 2,059,388/female 2,005,987)

25-54 years

43.8% (male 5,411,221/female 5,415,744)

55-64 years

8.5% (male 988,922/female 1,108,156)

65 years and over

9.5% (male 798,363/female 1,556,208) (2013 est.)

Birth rate

14.49 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

20.6% (2004)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

68.6% (2002)

Death rate

9.15 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios

45.2 % 31.5 % 13.7 % 7.3 (2013)

elderly dependency ratio

13.7 %

potential support ratio

7.3 (2013)

total dependency ratio

45.2 %

youth dependency ratio

31.5 %

Drinking water source

urban: 99% of population rural: 97% of population total: 98% of population urban: 1% of population rural: 3% of population total: 2% of population (2010 est.)

rural

3% of population

total

2% of population (2010 est.)

urban

1% of population

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

Hospital bed density

13.2 beds/1,000 population (2002)

Infant mortality rate

25.34 deaths/1,000 live births 28.1 deaths/1,000 live births 22.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)

female

22.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)

total

25.34 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Korean

Life expectancy at birth

69.51 years 65.65 years 73.55 years (2013 est.)

female

73.55 years (2013 est.)

total population

69.51 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write 100% 100% 100% (2008 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

100% (2008 est.)

male

100%

total population

100%

Major urban areas - population

PYONGYANG (capital) 2.843 million (2011)

Maternal mortality rate

81 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

Median age

33.2 years 31.6 years 34.8 years (2013 est.)

female

34.8 years (2013 est.)

male

31.6 years

total

33.2 years

Nationality

Korean(s) Korean

adjective

Korean

noun

Korean(s)

Net migration rate

-0.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

3.9% (2008)

Physicians density

3.29 physicians/1,000 population (2003)

Population

24,720,407 (July 2013 est.)

Population growth rate

0.53% (2013 est.)

Religions

traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way) autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom

Sanitation facility access

urban: 86% of population rural: 71% of population total: 80% of population urban: 14% of population rural: 29% of population total: 20% of population (2010 est.)

rural

29% of population

total

20% of population (2010 est.)

urban

14% of population

Sex ratio

1.05 male(s)/female 1.03 male(s)/female 1.03 male(s)/female 1 male(s)/female 0.89 male(s)/female 0.51 male(s)/female 0.94 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

0-14 years

1.03 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.89 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.51 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.99 children born/woman (2013 est.)

Urbanization

60.3% of total population (2011) 0.63% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

rate of urbanization

0.63% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

60.3% of total population (2011)

Administrative divisions

9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 2 municipalities (si, singular and plural) 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) Nason-si, P'yongyang-si (Pyongyang)

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

Pyongyang 39 01 N, 125 45 E UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

geographic coordinates

39 01 N, 125 45 E

name

Pyongyang

time difference

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

Constitution

previous 1948, 1972 (revised several times); latest adopted 1998 (during KIM Jong Il era); revised 2009, 2012 (2012)

Country name

Democratic People's Republic of Korea North Korea Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk Choson DPRK

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

KIM Jong Un (since 17 December 2011); note - the rubberstamp Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) reelected KIM Yong Nam in 2009 president of its Presidium with responsibility of representing state and receiving diplomatic credentials Premier PAK Pong-ju (since 2 April 2013); Vice Premiers: HAN Kwang Bok (since 7 June 2010), JO Pyong Ju (since 7 June 2010), JON Ha Chol (since 7 June 2010), KANG Nung Su (since 7 June 2010), KANG Sok Ju (since 23 September 2010), KIM In Sik (since 13 April 2012), KIM Rak Hui (since 7 June 2010), KIM Yong Jin (since 6 January 2012), PAK Su Gil (since 18 September 2009), RI Chol Man (since 13 April 2012), RI Mu Yong (since 31 May 2011), RI Sung Ho (since 13 April 2012), RO Tu Chol (since 3 September 2003) Naegak (cabinet) members, except for Minister of People's Armed Forces, are appointed by SPA last election held in April 2012; date of next election NA KIM Jong Un elected unopposed

cabinet

Naegak (cabinet) members, except for Minister of People's Armed Forces, are appointed by SPA

chief of state

KIM Jong Un (since 17 December 2011); note - the rubberstamp Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) reelected KIM Yong Nam in 2009 president of its Presidium with responsibility of representing state and receiving diplomatic credentials

election results

KIM Jong Un elected unopposed

elections

last election held in April 2012; date of next election NA

head of government

Premier PAK Pong-ju (since 2 April 2013); Vice Premiers: HAN Kwang Bok (since 7 June 2010), JO Pyong Ju (since 7 June 2010), JON Ha Chol (since 7 June 2010), KANG Nung Su (since 7 June 2010), KANG Sok Ju (since 23 September 2010), KIM In Sik (since 13 April 2012), KIM Rak Hui (since 7 June 2010), KIM Yong Jin (since 6 January 2012), PAK Su Gil (since 18 September 2009), RI Chol Man (since 13 April 2012), RI Mu Yong (since 31 May 2011), RI Sung Ho (since 13 April 2012), 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 law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Central Court (consists of the chief justice and two "People's Assessors" and for some cases, 3 judges) judges elected by the Supreme People's Assembly for 5-year terms provincial, municipal, military, special courts; people' courts (lowest level)

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Central Court (consists of the chief justice and two "People's Assessors" and for some cases, 3 judges)

judge selection and term of office

judges elected by the Supreme People's Assembly for 5-year terms

subordinate courts

provincial, municipal, military, special courts; people' courts (lowest level)

Legal system

civil law system based on the Prussian model; system influenced by Japanese traditions and Communist legal theory

Legislative branch

unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) last held on 8 March 2009 (next to be held in March 2014) 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

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

"Aegukka" (Patriotic Song) PAK Se Yong/KIM Won Gyun 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)

lyrics/music

PAK Se Yong/KIM Won Gyun

name

"Aegukka" (Patriotic Song)

National holiday

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

National symbol(s)

red star

Political parties and leaders

Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Jong Un] 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

Budget

$3.2 billion $3.3 billion (2007 est.)

expenditures

$3.3 billion (2007 est.)

revenues

$3.2 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-0.4% of GDP (2007 est.)

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, shortages of spare parts, and poor maintenance. Large-scale military spending draws off resources needed for investment and civilian consumption. Industrial and power output have stagnated for years at a fraction of pre-1990 levels. Frequent weather-related crop failures aggravated chronic food shortages caused by on-going systemic problems, including a lack of arable land, collective farming practices, poor soil quality, insufficient fertilization, and persistent shortages of tractors and fuel. Large-scale international food aid deliveries as well as aid from China has 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 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. In response to the sinking of the South Korean destroyer Cheonan and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, South Korea's government cut off most aid, trade, and bilateral cooperation activities, with the exception of operations at the Kaesong Industrial Complex. In 2012, KIM Jong Un's first year of leadership, the North displayed increased focus on the economy by renewing its commitment to special economic zones with China, negotiating a new payment structure to settle its $11 billion Soviet-era debt to Russia, and purportedly proposing new agricultural and industrial policies to boost domestic production. The North Korean government often highlights its goal of becoming a "strong and prosperous" nation and attracting foreign investment, a key factor for improving the overall standard of living. Nevertheless, firm political control remains the government's overriding concern, which likely will inhibit fundamental reforms of North Korea's current economic system.

Exchange rates

North Korean won (KPW) per US dollar (market rate) 155.5 (2012 est.) 156.1 (2011 est.) 145 (2010 est.) 3,630 (December 2008) 140 (2007)

Exports

$4.707 billion (2011)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

China 67.2%, South Korea 19.4%, India 3.6% (2011 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

23.3% 42.9% 33.8% (2012 est.)

agriculture

23.3%

industry

42.9%

services

33.8% (2012 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,800 (2011 est.) $1,800 (2010 est.) $1,900 (2009 est.) data are in 2011 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

0.8% (2011 est.) -0.5% (2010 est.) -0.9% (2009 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$28 billion (2009 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$40 billion (2011 est.) $40 billion (2010 est.) $40 billion (2009 est.) data are in 2011 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 2011 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

NA% NA%

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$4.33 billion (2011 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

China 61.6%, South Korea 20%, European Union 4% (2011 est.)

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 estimates vary widely (2009 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

35% 65% (2008 est.)

agriculture

35%

industry and services

65% (2008 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Taxes and other revenues

11.4% of GDP excludes earnings from state-operated enterprises (2007 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

65.96 million Mt (2011 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - imports

6,540 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - production

87.2 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)

Electricity - consumption

17.62 billion kWh (2010 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

47.4% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

52.6% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

9.5 million kW (2010 est.)

Electricity - production

21.04 billion kWh (2010 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2010 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2011 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2011 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2011 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2013 es)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

15,070 bbl/day (2011 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

5,787 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

6,965 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Broadcast media

no independent media; radios and TVs are pre-tuned to government stations; 4 government-owned TV 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

8 (2012)

Telephone system

adequate system; nationwide fiber-optic network; mobile-cellular service expanding beyond Pyongyang fiber-optic links installed down to the county level; telephone directories unavailable; GSM mobile-cellular service initiated in 2002 but suspended in 2004; Orascom Telecom Holding, an Egyptian company, launched W-CDMA mobile service on 15 December 2008 for the Pyongyang area, has expanded service to several large cities and now has a 1-million-person subscriber base country code - 850; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean, 1 Russian - Indian Ocean region); other international connections through Moscow and Beijing (2011)

domestic

fiber-optic links installed down to the county level; telephone directories unavailable; GSM mobile-cellular service initiated in 2002 but suspended in 2004; Orascom Telecom Holding, an Egyptian company, launched W-CDMA mobile service on 15 December 2008 for the Pyongyang area, has expanded service to several large cities and now has a 1-million-person subscriber base

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 (2011)

Telephones - main lines in use

1.18 million (2011)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.7 million (2012)

Airports

82 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

4 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

8

2,438 to 3,047 m

22

914 to 1,523 m

2

over 3,047 m

3

total

39

under 914 m

4 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

8 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

17

2,438 to 3,047 m

3

914 to 1,523 m

15

total

43

Heliports

23 (2013)

Merchant marine

bulk carrier 6, cargo 131, carrier 1, chemical tanker 1, container 4, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 12, refrigerated cargo 2 13 (Belgium 1, China 3, Nigeria 1, Singapore 1, South Korea 1, Syria 4, UAE 2) 6 (Mongolia 1, Sierra Leone 2, unknown 3) (2010)

foreign-owned

13 (Belgium 1, China 3, Nigeria 1, Singapore 1, South Korea 1, Syria 4, UAE 2)

registered in other countries

6 (Mongolia 1, Sierra Leone 2, unknown 3) (2010)

total

158

Pipelines

oil 6 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

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

Railways

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

total

5,242 km

Roadways

25,554 km 724 km 24,830 km (2006)

total

25,554 km

unpaved

24,830 km (2006)

Waterways

2,250 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2011)

Manpower available for military service

6,515,279 6,418,693 (2010 est.)

females age 16-49

6,418,693 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

6,515,279

Manpower fit for military service

4,836,567 5,230,137 (2010 est.)

females age 16-49

5,230,137 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

4,836,567

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

207,737 204,553 (2010 est.)

female

204,553 (2010 est.)

male

207,737

Military branches

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

North Korean People's Army

Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force; civil security forces (2005)

Military expenditures

NA

Military service age and obligation

18 is presumed to be the legal minimum age for compulsory military service; 16-17 is the presumed legal minimum age for voluntary service (2012)

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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

IDPs

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

Trafficking in persons

North Korea is a source country for men, women, and children who are subjected to forced labor, forced marriage, and sex trafficking; in the recent past, many North Korean women and girls lured by promises of food, jobs, and freedom migrated to China illegally to escape poor social and economic conditions only to be forced into prostitution, marriage, or exploitative labor arrangements; North Koreans do not have a choice in the work the government assigns them and are not free to change jobs at will; many North Korean workers recruited to work abroad under bilateral contracts with foreign governments are subjected to forced labor and reportedly face government reprisals if they try to escape or complain to outsiders; thousands of North Koreans, including children, are subjected to forced labor in prison camps 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 has conducted no known investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of trafficking offenders or officials complicit in forced labor or forced prostitution; the government also has reported no efforts to identify or assist trafficking victims and continues to deny human trafficking is a problem; authorities provide no discernible protection services to trafficking victims and does not permit NGOs to assist victims (2013)

current situation

North Korea is a source country for men, women, and children who are subjected to forced labor, forced marriage, and sex trafficking; in the recent past, many North Korean women and girls lured by promises of food, jobs, and freedom migrated to China illegally to escape poor social and economic conditions only to be forced into prostitution, marriage, or exploitative labor arrangements; North Koreans do not have a choice in the work the government assigns them and are not free to change jobs at will; many North Korean workers recruited to work abroad under bilateral contracts with foreign governments are subjected to forced labor and reportedly face government reprisals if they try to escape or complain to outsiders; thousands of North Koreans, including children, are subjected to forced labor in prison camps

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 has conducted no known investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of trafficking offenders or officials complicit in forced labor or forced prostitution; the government also has reported no efforts to identify or assist trafficking victims and continues to deny human trafficking is a problem; authorities provide no discernible protection services to trafficking victims and does not permit NGOs to assist victims (2013)