Korea, North

AM 27, FM 14, shortwave 3

4.7 million

domestic: system is being expanded with installation of fiber-optic cable nationwide; access traditionally reserved for official and business subscribers; public access is expected to increase international: satellite earth stations--1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean Region); other international connections through Moscow and Beijing

1.4 million (1998 est.)

38

2 million

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

revenues: $19.3 billion expenditures: $19.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)

1 North Korean won (Wn) = 100 chon

$12 billion (1996 est.)

$NA; note?an estimated $200 million to $300 million in humanitarian aid from US, South Korea, Japan, and EU in 1997

North Korea is the world's most centrally planned economy. Agricultural land is collectivized, state-owned industry produces nearly all manufactured goods, and heavy and military industries have long been developed at the expense of light and consumer industries. Open-air markets since 1995 have gained increasing importance in the distribution of food and consumer goods but private production remains extremely limited. Total economic output has fallen steadily since 1991--perhaps by as much as one-half--when the country's economic ties to the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc collapsed. The slide has also been fueled by serious energy shortages, aging industrial facilities, and a lack of maintenance and new investment. The leadership has tried to maintain a high level of military spending but the armed forces have nonetheless been affected by the general economic decline. Although North Korea has long depended on imports to meet food needs, serious fertilizer shortages in recent years have combined with structural constraints--such as a shortage of arable land and a short growing season--to reduce staple grain output to more than 1 million tons below what the country needs to meet even minimal demand. Widespread famine and disease have cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of North Koreans in 1994-98. The US, China, the international community, and nongovernmental organizations have sent aid but the problems remain extremely serious.

34 billion kWh (1996)

0 kWh (1996)

0 kWh (1996)

34 billion kWh (1996)

fossil fuel: 35.29% hydro: 64.71% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)

official: North Korean won (Wn) per US$1--2.15 (May 1994), 2.13 (May 1992), 2.14 (September 1991), 2.1 (January 1990), 2.3 (December 1989); market: North Korean won (Wn) per US$1--200

$743 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)

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

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

calendar year

purchasing power parity--$21.8 billion (1998 est.)

agriculture: 25% industry: 60% services: 15% (1995 est.)

purchasing power parity?$1,000 (1998 est.)

-5% (1998 est.)

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

$1.83 billion (c.i.f., 1997 est.)

petroleum, grain, coking coal, machinery and equipment, consumer goods

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

-7% to -9% (1992 est.)

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

NA%

9.615 million

agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64%

NA%

NA%

total: 120,540 sq km land: 120,410 sq km water: 130 sq km

slightly smaller than Mississippi

temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer

2,495 km

lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m highest point: Paektu-san 2,744 m

localized air pollution attributable to inadequate industrial controls; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water

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

40 00 N, 127 00 E

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

14,600 sq km (1993 est.)

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

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

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

Asia

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

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

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

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

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)

P'yongyang

adopted 1948, completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in April 1992 and September 1998

conventional long form: Democratic People's Republic of Korea conventional short form: North Korea local long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk local short form: none note: the North Koreans generally use the term "Choson" to refer to their country abbreviation: DPRK

KN

none

none; note--North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, headed by YI Hyong-chol

chief of state: KIM Chong-il; 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 Young-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: renamed DPRK Cabinet (naegak) on 5 September 1998; was previously called the State Administrative Council; Cabinet 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 results: NA

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

Communist state; one-man dictatorship

9 September 1948, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Foundation Day note: 15 August 1945, date of independence from the Japanese and celebrated in North Korea as National Liberation Day

ESCAP, FAO, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

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

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

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) 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

Foundation Day, 9 September (1948)

major party--Korean Workers' Party chairwoman]

17 years of age; universal

At the end of World War II, the US and the Soviet Union agreed that US troops would accept the surrender of Japanese forces south of the 38th parallel and the Soviet Union would do so in the north. In 1948, the UN proposed nationwide elections; after P'yongyang's refusal to allow UN inspectors in the north, elections were held in the south and the Republic of Korea was established. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea was established the following month in the north. Communist North Korean forces invaded South Korea in 1950. US and other UN forces intervened to defend the South and Chinese forces intervened on behalf of the North. After a bitter three-year war, an armistice was signed in 1953, establishing a military demarcation line near the 38th parallel. The North's heavy investment in military forces has produced an army of 1 million troops equipped with thousands of tanks and artillery pieces. Despite growing economic hardships, North Korea continues to devote a significant portion of its scarce resources to the military.

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

$5 billion to $7 billion (1997 est.)

25% to 33% (1997 est.)

males age 15-49: 5,768,038 (1999 est.)

males age 15-49: 3,483,188 (1999 est.)

18 years of age

males: 177,888 (1999 est.)

0-14 years: 26% (male 2,800,748; female 2,666,207) 15-64 years: 68% (male 7,143,969; female 7,447,147) 65 years and over: 6% (male 412,161; female 915,877) (1999 est.)

21.37 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

6.92 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

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

25.52 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Korean

total population: 70.07 years male: 67.41 years female: 72.86 years (1999 est.)

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

noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

21,386,109 (July 1999 est.)

1.45% (1999 est.)

Buddhism and Confucianism, some Christianity and syncretic Chondogyo note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.45 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

2.3 children born/woman (1999 est.)

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

49 (1994 est.) (1998 est.)

total: 22 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1994 est.)

total: 27 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 6 (1994 est.)

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

total: 110 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 691,802 GRT/992,789 DWT ships by type: bulk 8, cargo 91, combination bulk 1, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 4, passenger 2, passenger-cargo 1, short-sea passenger 2 (1998 est.)

crude oil 37 km; petroleum product 180 km

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

broad gauge: NA km 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 (three rails) (1996 est.)

2,253 km; mostly navigable by small craft only