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NAVIGATION
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
North Korea
Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk
note: the North Koreans generally use the term "Choson" to refer to their country
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Democratic People's Republic of Korea
conventional short form: North Korea local short form: none local long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk note: the North Koreans generally use the term "Choson" to refer to their country abbreviation: DPRK |
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Government type:
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authoritarian socialist; one-man dictatorship |
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Capital:
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Pyongyang |
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Administrative divisions:
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9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 4 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), Najin Sonbong-si*, Namp'o-si* (Namp'o City), P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan Province), P'yongan-namdo (South P'yongan Province), P'yongyang-si* (Pyongyang City), Yanggang-do (Yanggang Province) |
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Independence:
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15 August 1945 (from Japan) |
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National holiday:
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Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), 9 September (1948) |
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Constitution:
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adopted 1948, completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in April 1992 and September 1998 |
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Legal system:
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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 |
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Suffrage:
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17 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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
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% cabinet: Cabinet (Naegak), members, except for the Minister of People's Armed Forces, are appointed by the Supreme People's Assembly head of government: Premier HONG Song-nam (since 5 September 1998); Vice Premiers CHO Ch'ang-tok (since NA), KWAK Pom-ki (since NA), Sin IL-nam (since NA April 2002) |
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Legislative branch:
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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 |
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Judicial branch:
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Central Court (judges are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Chondoist Chongu Party [YU Mi-yong, chairwoman]; Korean Social Democratic Party [KIM Yong-tae, chairman]; major party - Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Chong-il, General Secretary] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ARF (dialogue partner), ESCAP, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none; note - North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none (Swedish Embassy in P'yongyang represents the US as consular protecting power) |
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Flag description:
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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 |
ECONOMY
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Economy - overview:
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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. Industrial and power output have declined in parallel. Despite a good harvest in 2001, the nation faces its ninth year of food shortages because of a lack of arable land; collective farming; 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 mass starvation since 1995-96, but the population remains vulnerable to prolonged malnutrition and deteriorating living conditions. Large-scale military spending eats up resources needed for investment and civilian consumption. Recently, the regime has placed emphasis on earning hard currency, developing information technology, addressing power shortages, and attracting foreign aid, but in no way at the expense of relinquishing central control over key national assets or undergoing widespread market-oriented reforms. In 2002, heightened political tensions with key donor countries and general donor fatigue have held down the flow of desperately needed food aid and threaten fuel aid as well. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $22 billion (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 30%
industry: 32% services: 37% (2000 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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NA% |
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Labor force:
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9.6 million |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64% |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA% |
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Budget:
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revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA |
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Industries:
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military products; machine building, electric power, chemicals; mining (coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food processing; tourism |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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33.4 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 33%
hydro: 67% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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31.062 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs |
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Exports:
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$826 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures (including armaments); textiles and fishery products |
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Exports - partners:
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Japan 36.3%, South Korea 21.5%, China 5.2% (2000) |
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Imports:
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$1.874 billion c.i.f. (2001 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment; textiles, grain |
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Imports - partners:
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China 26.7%, South Korea 16.2%, Japan 12.3% (2000) |
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Debt - external:
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$12 billion (1996 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$NA; note - nearly $300 million in food aid alone from US, South Korea, Japan, and EU in 2001 plus much additional aid from the UN and non-governmental organizations |
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Currency:
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North Korean won (KPW) |
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Currency code:
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KPW |
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Exchange rates:
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official: North Korean won per US dollar - 2.15 (December 2001), 2.15 (May 1994), 2.13 (May 1992), 2.14 (September 1991), 2.1 (January 1990); market: North Korean won per US dollar - 200 (December 2001) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |