profile - korea, north

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Korea, North

Introduction Korea, North

Background: An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea wasoccupied by Japan in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War. Five yearslater, Japan formally annexed the entire peninsula. Following World WarII, Korea was split with the northern half coming under Soviet-sponsoredCommunist domination. After failing in the Korean War (1950-53) toconquer the US-backed Republic of Korea (ROK) in the southern portionby force, North Korea (DPRK), under its founder President KIM Il Sung,adopted a policy of ostensible diplomatic and economic "self-reliance" asa check against excessive Soviet or Communist Chinese influence. The

DPRK demonized the US as the ultimate threat to its social systemthrough state-funded propaganda, and molded political, economic, andmilitary policies around the core ideological objective of eventualunification of Korea under Pyongyang's control. KIM's son, the currentruler KIM Jong Il, was officially designated as his father's successor in1980, assuming a growing political and managerial role until the elderKIM's death in 1994. After decades of economic mismanagement andresource misallocation, the DPRK since the mid-1990s has relied heavilyon international aid to feed its population while continuing to expendresources to maintain an army of approximately 1 million. North Korea's

Page 1 of 12CIA - The World Factbook -- Korea, North

10/4/2008https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/kn.html


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history of regional military provocations, proliferation of military-relateditems, and long-range missile development - as well as its nuclear,chemical, and biological weapons programs and massive conventionalarmed forces - are of major concern to the international community. InDecember 2002, following revelations that the DPRK was pursuing anuclear weapons program based on enriched uranium in violation of a1994 agreement with the US to freeze and ultimately dismantle itsexisting plutonium-based program, North Korea expelled monitors fromthe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In January 2003, itdeclared its withdrawal from the international Non-Proliferation Treaty.In mid-2003 Pyongyang announced it had completed the reprocessing ofspent nuclear fuel rods (to extract weapons-grade plutonium) and wasdeveloping a "nuclear deterrent." Beginning in August 2003, NorthKorea, China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the US have participatedin the Six-Party Talks aimed at resolving the stalemate over the DPRK'snuclear programs. North Korea pulled out of the talks in November 2005.It test-fired ballistic missiles in July 2006 and conducted a nuclear test inOctober 2006. North Korea returned to the Six-Party Talks in December

2006 and subsequently signed two agreements on denuclearization. The13 February 2007 Initial Actions Agreement shut down the North'snuclear facilities at Yongbyon in July 2007. In the 3 October 2007Second Phase Actions Agreement, Pyongyang pledged to disable thosefacilities and provide a correct and complete declaration of its nuclearprograms. Under the supervision of US nuclear experts, North Koreanpersonnel completed a number of agreed-upon disablement actions at thethree core facilities at the Yongbyon nuclear complex by the end of 2007.North Korea also began the discharge of spent fuel rods in December2007, but it did not provide a declaration of its nuclear programs by theend of the year.

Geography Korea, North

Location: Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsulabordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, betweenChina and South Korea

Geographic coordinates: 40 00 N, 127 00 E

Map references: Asia

Area: total: 120,540 sq kmland: 120,410 sq kmwater: 130 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Mississippi

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

Coastline: 2,495 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm




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exclusive economic zone: 200 nmnote: military boundary line 50 nm in the Sea of Japanand the exclusive economic zone limit in the YellowSea where all foreign vessels and aircraft withoutpermission are banned

Climate: temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer

Terrain: mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrowvalleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous ineast

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 mhighest 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: 22.4%permanent crops: 1.66%other: 75.94% (2005)

Irrigated land: 14,600 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 77.1 cu km (1999)

Freshwater withdrawal(domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 9.02 cu km/yr (20%/25%/55%)per capita: 401 cu m/yr (2000)

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;

waterborne disease; deforestation; soil erosion anddegradation

Environment - internationalagreements:

party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, ClimateChange, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection,Ship Pollutionsigned, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note: strategic location bordering China, South Korea, andRussia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparselypopulated

People Korea, North

Population: 23,479,088 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 22.9% (male 2,733,352/female 2,654,186)15-64 years: 68.2% (male 7,931,484/female 8,083,626)65 years and over: 8.8% (male 751,401/female 1,325,040) (2008 est.)

Median age: total: 32.7 years




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male: 31.2 yearsfemale: 34.2 years (2008 est.)

Populationgrowth rate:

0.732% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 14.61 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 7.29 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migrationrate:

NA (2008 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.57 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortalityrate:

total: 21.86 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale:

23.46 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 20.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancyat birth:

total population: 72.2 yearsmale: 69.45 yearsfemale: 75.08 years (2008 est.)

Total fertilityrate:

2 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adultprevalence rate:

NA

HIV/AIDS -

people livingwith 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 fewethnic 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 ofreligious freedom

Languages: Korean

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 99%male: 99%




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female: 99%

Educationexpenditures:

NA

Government Korea, North

Country name: conventional long form: Democratic People's Republic of Koreaconventional short form: North Korealocal long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguklocal short form: Chosonabbreviation: DPRK

Governmenttype:

Communist state one-man dictatorship

Capital: name: Pyongyanggeographic coordinates: 39 01 N, 125 45 Etime difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)

Administrativedivisions:

9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 4 municipalities (si, singularand plural)provinces: Chagang-do (Chagang), Hamgyong-bukto (NorthHamgyong), Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong), Hwanghae-bukto(North Hwanghae), Hwanghae-namdo (South Hwanghae), Kangwon-do(Kangwon), P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan), P'yongan-namdo (SouthP'yongan), Yanggang-do (Yanggang)municipalities: Kaesong-si (Kaesong), Najin Sonbong-si (Najin-Sonbong), Namp'o-si (Namp'o), P'yongyang-si (Pyongyang)

Independence: 15 August 1945 (from Japan)

Nationalholiday:

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

Constitution: adopted 1948; completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again inApril 1992, and September 1998

Legal system: based on Prussian civil law system with Japanese influences andCommunist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has notaccepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal

Executivebranch: chief of state: KIM Jong Il (since July 1994); note - on 3 September2003, rubberstamp Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) reelected KIMJong Il chairman of the National Defense Commission, a positionaccorded nation's "highest administrative authority"; SPA reelected KIMYong Nam president of its Presidium also with responsibility ofrepresenting state and receiving diplomatic credentialshead of government: Premier KIM Yong Il (since 11 April 2007); VicePremiers KWAK Pom Gi (since 5 September 1998), JON Sung Hun(since 3 September 2003), RO Tu Chol (since 3 September 2003), THAEJong Su (since 16 October 2007)




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cabinet: Naegak (cabinet) members, except for Minister of People'sArmed Forces, are appointed by SPAelections: last held in September 2003 (next to be held in September2008)election results: KIM Jong Il and KIM Yong Nam were only nomineesfor positions and ran unopposed

Legislativebranch:

unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)elections: last held 3 August 2003 (next to be held in August 2008)election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA;ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected withoutopposition; some seats are held by minor parties

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

Political partiesand leaders:

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

Politicalpressure

groups andleaders:

none

Internationalorganization

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

Diplomaticrepresentation

in the US:

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

Diplomaticrepresentation

from the US:

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

Flagdescription:

three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the redband is edged in white; on the hoist side of the red band is a white diskwith a red five-pointed star

Economy Korea, North

Economy -overview:

North Korea, one of the world's most centrally directed and least openeconomies, faces chronic economic problems. Industrial capital stock is

nearly beyond repair as a result of years of underinvestment andshortages of spare parts. Industrial and power output have declined inparallel from pre-1990 levels. Due in part to severe summer floodingfollowed by dry weather conditions in the fall of 2006, the nationsuffered its 13th year of food shortages because of on-going systemicproblems including a lack of arable land, collective farming practices,and persistent shortages of tractors and fuel. During the summer of 2007,severe flooding again occurred. Large-scale international food aiddeliveries have allowed the people of North Korea to escape widespreadstarvation since famine threatened in 1995, but the population continues




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to suffer from prolonged malnutrition and poor living conditions. Large-scale military spending draws off resources needed for investment andcivilian consumption. Since 2002, the government has formalized anarrangement whereby private "farmers' markets" were allowed to beginselling a wider range of goods. It also permitted some private farming onan experimental basis in an effort to boost agricultural output. In October2005, the government tried to reverse some of these policies byforbidding private sales of grains and reinstituting a centralized foodrationing system. By December 2005, the government terminated mostinternational humanitarian assistance operations in North Korea (callinginstead for developmental assistance only) and restricted the activities ofremaining international and non-governmental aid organizations such asthe World Food Program. External food aid now comes primarily fromChina and South Korea in the form of grants and long-term concessionalloans. During the October 2007 summit, South Korea also agreed todevelop some of North Korea's infrastructure and natural resources andlight industry. Firm political control remains the Communistgovernment's overriding concern, which will likely inhibit the loosening

of economic regulations.

GDP(purchasing

power parity):

$40 billionnote: North Korea does not publish any reliable National IncomeAccounts data; the datum shown here is derived from purchasing powerparity (PPP) GDP estimates for North Korea that were made by AngusMADDISON in a study conducted for the OECD; his figure for 1999was extrapolated to 2007 using estimated real growth rates for NorthKorea's GDP and an inflation factor based on the US GDP deflator; theresult was rounded to the nearest $10 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official

exchange rate):

$25.96 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - realgrowth rate:

-1.1% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita(PPP):

$1,700 (2007 est.)

GDP -composition by

sector:

agriculture: 23.3%industry: 43.1%services: 33.6% (2002 est.)

Labor force: 20 millionnote: estimates vary widely (2004 est.)

Labor force - byoccupation:

agriculture: 37%industry and services: 63% (2004 est.)

Unemploymentrate:

NA%

Populationbelow poverty

line:

NA%




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Householdincome or

consumption bypercentage

share:

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

Inflation rate(consumer

prices):

NA%

Budget: revenues: $2.88 billion $NAexpenditures: $2.98 billion $NA

Agriculture -products:

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

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

Industrial

productiongrowth rate:

NA%

Electricity -production:

22.5 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity -production by

source:

fossil fuel: 29%hydro: 71%nuclear: 0%other: 0% (2001)

Electricity -consumption:

18.57 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity -exports:

0 kWh (2007)

Electricity -imports:

0 kWh (2007)

Oil - production: 141 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil -consumption:

10,520 bbl/day (2006)

Oil - exports: 0 bbl/day (2006)

Oil - imports: 10,520 bbl/day (2006 est.)Oil - proved

reserves:NA bbl

Natural gas -production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas -consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - 0 cu m (2007 est.)




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exports:

Natural gas -imports:

0 cu m (2007)

Natural gas -proved

reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2007)

Exports: $1.466 billion f.o.b. (2006)

Exports -commodities:

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

Exports -partners:

China 31.4%, Venezuela 14.8%, Brazil 6.8%, Lebanon 4.8% (2006)

Imports: $2.879 billion c.i.f. (2006)

Imports -commodities:

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

Imports -partners:

China 43.6%, Algeria 11.9%, Russia 7.1%, Thailand 5.6%, South Africa4.3% (2006)

Economic aid -recipient:

$372 millionnote: approximately 65,000 metric tons in food aid through the WorldFood Program appeals in 2007, plus additional aid from bilateral donorsand non-governmental organizations (2007 est.)

Debt - external: $12.5 billion (2001 est.)

Currency(code):

North Korean won (KPW)

Currency code: KPW

Exchange rates: official: North Korean won per US dollar - 140 (2007), 141 (2006), 170(December 2004), market: North Korean won per US dollar - 2,500-3,000 (December 2006)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Korea, North

Telephones -main lines in

use:

1.18 million (2007)

Telephonesystem:

general assessment: NAdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 850; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat -Indian Ocean, 1 Russian - Indian Ocean region); other internationalconnections through Moscow and Beijing

Radiobroadcast

stations:

AM 17 (including 11 stations of Korean Central Broadcasting Station;North Korea has a "national intercom" cable radio station wiredthroughout the country that is a significant source of information for the




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average North Korean citizen; it is wired into most residences andworkplaces and carries news and commentary), FM 14, shortwave 14(2006)

Radios: 3.36 million (1997)

Television

broadcaststations:

4 (includes Korean Central Television, Mansudae Television, Korean

Educational and Cultural Network, and Kaesong Television targetingSouth Korea) (2003)

Televisions: 1.2 million (1997)

Internet countrycode:

.kp

Internet ServiceProviders

(ISPs):

1 (2000)

Internet users: NA

Transportation Korea, North

Airports: 77 (2007)

Airports - withpaved runways:

total: 36over 3,047 m: 22,438 to 3,047 m: 221,524 to 2,437 m: 8914 to 1,523 m: 1under 914 m: 3 (2007)

Airports - withunpaved

runways:

total: 41

2,438 to 3,047 m: 21,524 to 2,437 m: 19914 to 1,523 m: 13under 914 m: 7 (2007)

Heliports: 23 (2007)

Pipelines: oil 154 km (2007)

Railways: total: 5,235 kmstandard gauge: 5,235 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways: total: 25,554 km

paved: 724 kmunpaved: 24,830 km (2006)

Waterways: 2,250 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2007)

Merchantmarine:

total: 163 ships (1000 GRT or over) 790,427 GRT/1,153,404 DWTby type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 123, carrier 1, chemical tanker 1,container 3, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 16, refrigerated cargo 4,roll on/roll off 1foreign-owned: 19 (Egypt 1, Greece 2, Lebanon 1, Lithuania 1, Pakistan




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1, Romania 4, Syria 2, UAE 5, Yemen 2)registered in other countries: 1 (Mongolia 1) (2008)

Ports andterminals:

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

Military Korea, North

Militarybranches:

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

Military serviceage and

obligation:

17 years of age (2004)

Manpoweravailable for

military service:

males age 16-49: 6,225,747females age 16-49: 6,188,270 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for

military service:males age 16-49: 5,141,240females age 16-49: 5,139,447 (2008 est.)

Manpowerreachingmilitarily

significant ageannually:

male: 199,628female: 192,388 (2008 est.)

Militaryexpenditures:

NA

Transnational

IssuesKorea, North

Disputes -international:

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

Refugees and

internallydisplacedpersons:

IDPs: undetermined (flooding in mid-2007 and famine during mid-

1990s) (2007)

Trafficking inpersons:

current situation: North Korea is a source country for men, women, andchildren trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercialsexual exploitation; the most common form of trafficking involves NorthKorean women and girls who cross the border into China voluntarily;additionally, North Korean women and girls are lured out of North Koreato escape poor social and economic conditions by the promise of food,




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jobs, and freedom, only to be forced into prostitution, marriage, orexploitative labor arrangements once in Chinatier rating: Tier 3 - North Korea does not fully comply with minimumstandards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significantefforts to do so; the government does not acknowledge the existence ofhuman rights abuses in the country or recognize trafficking, either withinthe country or transnationally; North Korea has not ratified the 2000 UNTIP Protocol (2008)

Illicit drugs: for years, from the 1970s into the 2000s, citizens of the DemocraticPeople's Republic of (North) Korea (DPRK), many of them diplomaticemployees of the government, were apprehended abroad whiletrafficking in narcotics, including two in Turkey in December 2004;police investigations in Taiwan and Japan in recent years have linkedNorth Korea to large illicit shipments of heroin and methamphetamine,including an attempt by the North Korean merchant ship Pong Su todeliver 150 kg of heroin to Australia in April 2003

This page was last updated on 2 October, 2008


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