Korea, North

§1. Korea, North Introduction

Background:
  Following World War II, Korea was split into a northern, communist half and
  a southern, Western-oriented half. KIM Chong-il has ruled North Korea since
  his father and the country's founder, president KIM Il-song, died in 1994.
  After decades of mismanagement, the North relies heavily on international
  food aid to feed its population, while continuing to expend resources to
  maintain an army of about 1 million. North Korea's long-range missile
  development and research into nuclear and chemical weapons are of major
  concern to the international community.

§2. Korea, North Geography

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

Area:
  total: 120,540 kmē
  land: 120,410 kmē
  water: 130 kmē

Area - comparative:
  slightly smaller than Mississippi

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,673 km border countries: China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km,
    Russia 19 km

Coastline:
  2,495 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 NM 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

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

Land use:
  arable land: 14%
  permanent crops: 2%
  permanent pastures: 0%
  forests and woodland: 61%
  other: 23% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:
  14,600 kmē (1993 est.)

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

Environment - current issues:
  water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; water-borne disease;
  deforestation; soil erosion and degradation

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 and sparsely populated

§3. Korea, North People

Population:
  21,968,228 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 25.52% (male 2,873,390; female 2,733,163)
  15-64 years: 67.63% (male 7,301,531; female 7,556,554)
  65 years and over: 6.85% (male 486,805; female 1,016,785) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:
  1.22% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:
  19.1 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:
  6.92 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  23.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 71.02 years male: 68.04 years
  female: 74.15 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  2.26 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  NA

Nationality:
  noun: Korean(s)
  adjective: Korean

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

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

Languages:
  Korean

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write Korean
  total population: 99%
  male: 99%
  female: 99% (1990 est.)

§4. Korea, North Government

§5. Country name: conventional long form: Democratic People's Republic of K
  orea

c
  onventional short form: North Korea

l
  ocal long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk

l
  ocal short form: none

n r
  ote: the North Koreans generally use the term "Choson" to efer to their
    country

a
  bbreviation: DPRK

Government type:
  authoritarian socialist; 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:
  15 August 1945 (from Japan)

National holiday:
  Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), 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 (since NA July 1994); 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 Yong-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: Cabinet (Naegak), 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 last
    held NA September 1998 (next to be held NA)
  election results: HONG Song-nam elected premier; percent of Supreme
    People's Assembly vote - 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 2003)
  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:
  Chondoist Chongu Party [YU Mi-yong, chairwoman]; Korean Social Democratic
  Party [KIM Pyong-sik, chairman]; major party - Korean Workers' Party or KWP
  [KIM Chong-il, General Secretary]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

International organization participation:
  ARF (dialogue partner), 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 (Swedish Embassy in P'yongyang represents the US as consular
  protecting power)

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

§6. Korea, North Economy

Economy - overview:
  North Korea, one of the world's most centrally planned and isolated
  economies, faces desperate economic conditions. Industrial capital stock is
  nearly beyond repair as a result of years of underinvestment and spare
  parts shortages. The nation faces its seventh year of food shortages
  because of weather-related problems, including major drought in 2000, and
  chronic shortages of fertilizer and fuel. Massive international food aid
  deliveries have allowed the regime to escape the major consequence of
  spreading economic failure, such as mass starvation, but the population
  remains vulnerable to prolonged malnutrition and deteriorating living
  conditions. Large-scale military spending eats up resources needed for
  expanding investment and consumption goods. In 2000, the regime placed
  emphasis on expanding foreign trade links, embracing modern technology, and
  attracting foreign investment, but in no way at the expense of
  relinquishing central control over key national assets or undergoing
  market-oriented reforms.

GDP:
  purchasing power parity - $22 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  -3% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:
  purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 30% industry: 42%
  services: 28% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  NA%

Labor force:
  9.6 million

Labor force - by occupation:
  agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64%

Unemployment rate:
  NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $NA
  expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $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; tourism

Industrial production growth rate:
  NA%

Electricity - production:
  28.6 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:
  fossil fuel: 34.62% hydro: 65.38%
  nuclear: 0%
  other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption:
  26.598 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products:
  rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs

Exports:
  $520 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures (including armaments);
  agricultural and fishery products

Exports - partners:
  Japan 28%, South Korea 21%, China 5%, Germany 4%, Russia 1% (1995)

Imports:
  $960 million (c.i.f., 1999 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment; consumer goods, grain

Imports - partners:
  China 33%, Japan 17%, Russia 5%, South Korea 4%, Germany 3% (1995)

Debt - external:
  $12 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $NA; note - an estimated $200 million to $300 million in humanitarian aid
  from US, South Korea, Japan, and EU in 1997 plus much additional aid from
  the UN and non-governmental organizations; substantial continuing
  humanitarian aid, 1998-2000

Currency:
  North Korean won (KPW)

Currency code:
  KPW

Exchange rates:
  official: North Korean won per US dollar - 2.15 (May 1994), 2.13 (May
    1992), 2.14 (September 1991), 2.1 (January 1990), 2.3 (December 1989);
    market: North Korean won per US dollar - 200

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§7. Korea, North Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  1.1 million (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  NA

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA domestic: NA
  international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1
    Russian (Indian Ocean region); other international connections through
    Moscow and Beijing

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 16, FM 14, shortwave 12 (1999)

Radios:
  3.36 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
  38 (1999)

Televisions:
  1.2 million (1997)

Internet country code:
  .kp

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
  1 (2000)

Internet users:
  NA

§8. Korea, North Transportation

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 1.435-m and 1.600-m gauges (four rails interlaced) (1996
    est.)

Highways:
  total: 31,200 km
  paved: 1,997 km
  unpaved: 29,203 km (1996)

Waterways:
  2,253 km
  note: mostly navigable by small craft only

Pipelines:
  crude oil 37 km; petroleum product 180 km

Ports and harbors:
  Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch'aek, Kosong, Najin, Namp'o,
  Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Ungsang, Wonsan

Merchant marine:
  total: 110 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 661,792 GRT/903,367 DWT
  ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 94, combination bulk 1, multi-functional
    large-load carrier 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4,
    refrigerated cargo 1, short-sea passenger 2 (2000 est.)

Airports:
  87 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 39 over 3,047 m: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 26
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
  914 to 1,523 m: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 48 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 24
  914 to 1,523 m: 13
  under 914 m: 8 (2000 est.)

§9. Korea, North Military

Military branches:
  Korean People's Army (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Civil Security
  Forces

Military manpower - military age:
  18 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
  males age 15-49: 5,943,735 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
  males age 15-49: 3,574,050 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
  males: 179,136 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $3.7 billion to $4.9 billion (FY98 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  25% to 33% (FY98 est.)

§10. Korea, North Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  33-km section of boundary with China in the Paektu-san (mountain) area is
  indefinite; Demarcation Line with South Korea
