FLAG: A wide horizontal red stripe is bordered on top and bottom by narrow blue stripes, separated from the red by thin white stripes. The left half of the red stripe contains a red five-pointed star on a circular white field.

ANTHEM: The Song of General Kim Il Sung.

MONETARY UNIT: The won (w) of 100 ch’on (or jeon) is the national currency. There are coins of 1, 5, 10, and 50 ch’on, and 1 won, and notes of 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 won. w1 = $0.00588 (or $1 = w170) as of 2004.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system and native Korean units of measurement are used.

HOLIDAYS: New Year’s Day, 1 January; Kim Jong Il’s Birthday, 16 February; International Women’s Day, 8 March; Kim Il Sung’s Birthday, 15 April; May Day, 1 May; Liberation Day, 15 August; National Foundation Day, 9 September; Founding of the Korean Workers’ Party, 10 October; Anniversary of the Constitution, 27 December.

TIME: 9 pm = noon GMT.

1 Location and Size

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), often called North Korea, occupies the northern 55% of the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. It has an area of 120,540 square kilometers (46,540 square miles), slightly smaller than the state of Mississippi. The country has a total land boundary length of 1,673 kilometers (1,040 miles) and a coastline of 2,495 kilometers (1,550 miles).

A demilitarized zone (DMZ), 4,000 meters (13,100 feet) wide, covers 1,262 square kilometers (487 square miles) and is located north and south of the 38th parallel. The DMZ separates the DPRK from the Republic of Korea (ROK, or South Korea), which occupies the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. The DPRK’s capital city, P’yongyang, is located in the southwestern part of the country.

2 Topography

The DPRK is mostly mountainous. Mount Paektu (Paektu-San), an extinct volcano with a scenic crater lake, is the highest point at 2,744 meters (9,003 feet). It is located on the border

GEOGRAPHICAL PROFILE

Geographic Features

Area: 120,540 sq km (46,540 sq mi)

Size ranking: 97 of 194

Highest elevation: 2,744 meters (9,003 feet) at Paektu San

Lowest elevation: Sea level at the Sea of Japan

Land Use*

Arable land: 22%

Permanent crops: 2%

Other: 76%

Weather**

Average annual precipitation: 75–100 centimeters (30–40 inches)

Average temperature in January: (P’yongyang): -8°c (18°f)

Average temperature in July: (P’yongyang): 24°c (75°f)

* Arable Land: Land used for temporary crops, like meadows for mowing or pasture, gardens, and greenhouses.

Permanent crops: Land cultivated with crops that occupy its use for long periods, such as cocoa, coffee, rubber, fruit and nut orchards, and vineyards.

Other: Any land not specified, including built-on areas, roads, and barren land.

** The measurements for precipitation and average temperatures were taken at weather stations closest to the country’s largest city.

Precipitation and average temperature can vary significantly within a country, due to factors such as latitude, altitude, coastal proximity, and wind patterns.

with China and forms part of the Mach’ol Range. To the northeast is the Hamgyong range, to the south is the Pujollyong range, to the southwest is the Nangnim range, and along the northwest border is the Kangnam range.

Only about 20% of the country consists of lowlands and plains, but it is in these areas that the population is concentrated. The principal rivers are the Tumen and Yalu and the Taedong, which flows past P’yongyang. The Yalu is the longest river, with a length of 800 kilometers (500 miles). The largest lake in the country is actually the salt lagoon of Kwangpo. It has an area of 13 square kilometers (5 square miles).

3 Climate

The climate varies widely on the small peninsula. The average January temperature is -17°c (1°f) on the north-central border and -8°c (18°f) at P’yongyang. In the hottest part of the summer, temperatures range only from 24°c (75°f) in P’yongyang to 21°c (70°f) along the northeast coast. Precipitation is around 50 centimeters (20 inches) along the upper reaches of the Tumen, but more than half of the peninsula receives 75 to 100 centimeters (30 to 40 inches) per year. Typhoons occur occasionally in the early fall.

4 Plants and Animals

Plant life is made up mostly of evergreens in mountainous areas of the DPRK. The hilly terrain of Mount Paektu (Paektu San) is believed to be the peninsula’s last remaining habitat for Siberian tigers. It also is the home of bears, wild boar, deer, snow leopards, and lynx. At lower elevations roe deer, Amur goral, wolf, water shrew, and muskrat are common. Birds include the black Manchurian ring-necked pheasant, black grouse, and three-toed woodpecker.

5 Environment

Water pollution by agricultural and industrial sources is a main concern. Air pollution is also a problem. The Korean government has established 220 facilities to regulate environmental conditions, industrial areas, protected land, and water reserves. In 2006, threatened species included 12 types of mammals, 22 species of birds, 1 species of amphibian, 5 species of fish, 1 species of invertebrate, and 3 species of plants. Endangered species in the DPRK included the tiger (particularly the Siberian tiger), Amur leopard, Oriental white stork, Japanese crested ibis, and Tristram’s woodpecker. The Japanese sea lion has become extinct.

6 Population

The population of the DPRK in 2005 was estimated at 22,912,000. The projected population for the year 2025 is 25,755,000. The average population density is 186 persons per square kilometer (482 per square mile). P’yongyang, the capital city, has an estimated population of 3,228,000.

7 Migration

The DPRK encourages the return of overseas Koreans who migrated as refugees, either from communism or the Korean War (1950–53). These people are needed to relieve the nation’s chronic labor shortages. Between 1945 and 1950, an estimated 300,000 Koreans returned from Manchuria and Siberia. More than 93,000 out of about 600,000 Koreans in Japan returned to the DPRK between December 1959 and the end of 1974.

During 1992–96, about 1,000 North Koreans fled to China, where refugees can avoid being caught by blending in with large ethnic-Korean communities. China and South Korea both have started building refugee camps near their borders with the DPRK. If the North Korean government collapses, Chinese and South Korean officials anticipate that many North Koreans will leave the DPRK as refugees. In 2005, the estimated net migration rate was zero.

8 Ethnic Groups

The Koreans are believed to be descended primarily from Tungusic peoples of the Mongoloid race, who originated in the cold northern regions of Central Asia. There is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese; however, the DPRK has no sizable ethnic minority.

9 Languages

The Korean language is usually believed to be a member of the Altaic family. There are only slight differences between the various dialects. Korean is written in a largely phonetic alphabet called Han’gul, with letters resembling Chinese characters.

In 1964, Kim Il Sung, head of state, called for purification of Korean by replacing borrowings from English and Japanese with native Korean or familiar Chinese terms. Some Chinese (Mandarin dialect) and Russian are spoken in border areas.

10 Religions

According to current government estimates, most of the population profess no religion or claim to be atheists (deny the existence of God). A native religion, shamanism, notable for its emphasis on evil spirits, is practiced by a small percentage of the rural population. The government reports that about 40,000 people are followers of Ch’ondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way), a sect incorporating both Christian and Buddhist elements. The government also estimates there are 10,000 practicing Buddhists. Christians make up less than 1% of the population.

11 Transportation

The rail network is the principal means of transportation, carrying approximately 90% of the nation’s freight and most of all passenger traffic. In 2004, railways in use comprised 5,214 kilometers (3,243 miles) of track. In 2002, highways totaled an estimated 31,200 kilometers (19,388 miles), of which only 1,997 kilometers (1,241 miles) were paved.

Rivers used for freight transportation are the Yalu, Taedong, and Chaeryong. The main ports are Namp’o, Ch’ongjin, and Hungnam. In 2005 there were 238 ships in the merchant fleet, with a total capacity of 985,108 gross registered tons (GRT). Also in 2004, there were 78 airports, 35 of which had paved runways. Limited air services connect P’yongyang with other cities within the DPRK, as well as with China and the former Soviet Union. In 2003, about 75,800 passengers were carried on scheduled domestic and international flights.

12 History

Early History The history of the Korean people begins with the migration into the Korean Peninsula of Tungusic tribes from northern China and Manchuria around 3000 bc. The recorded history of Korea begins around 194 bc, when the ancient kingdom of Choson (“Land of Morning Calm”) in northwestern Korea was seized by Wiman, a military figure from China.

Wiman’s successors fell victim to expanding Chinese power in 108 bc, however, and they were subjected to four centuries of Chinese colonial rule. During this period, the advanced Chinese culture slowly spread into nearly every corner of Korea, helping unite the loosely knit Korean tribes. By ad 313, when Chinese power diminished in the region, three Korean kingdoms had emerged: Paekche, in the southwest; Silla, in the southeast; and Koguryo, in the northwest. During this period, Buddhism was introduced into Korea, from which it was later taken to Japan.

Over the following centuries, periods of division among the kingdoms alternated with three periods of unity: the Silla Unification (668–900); the reunification under the Koryo Dynasty (936–1231); and, finally, the rule of the long-lived Yi (or Li) Dynasty (1392–1910). Korea was invaded by the Manchus in 1636, eventually falling under the control of the Qing (Ch’ing), or Manchu, Dynasty of China.

19th Century The first six decades of the 19th century were marked by a succession of natural disasters, as well as by increasing peasant unrest and rebellion. The Kanghwa Treaty of 1876 with Japan opened Korea’s borders, both to Japan and to the Western nations. During the last quarter of the 19th century, Korea was the prize in a contest among Japan, China, Western imperialist powers, and domestic political forces. After defeating first the Chinese (1894–95) and then the Russians (1904–05), Japan formally annexed Korea in 1910, bringing to an end the Yi Dynasty.

For 35 years, Korea (temporarily renamed Choson) remained under Japanese rule, until the country was liberated by American and Soviet troops at the end of World War II (1939–45).

The Korean War After Japan surrendered on 14 August 1945, the 38th parallel was chosen as a line of demarcation between Soviet occupation forces in the North and American occupation forces in the South. The Americans set up a military government allied with conservative Korean political forces. The Soviets allied their government with leftist and communist Korean forces led by Kim Il Sung, who had been an anti-Japanese guerrilla leader in Manchuria. The two governments were unable to agree on terms for the reunification of the country. They proclaimed two separate republics in 1948: the Republic of Korea (ROK) in the South and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the North.

On 25 June 1950, the People’s Army of the DPRK invaded the ROK to unify the country under communist control. The DPRK forces advanced rapidly, and the destruction of the ROK seemed near. However, United States and United Nations (UN) multinational forces came to the aid of the South Koreans. A military campaign led by U.S. General Douglas MacArthur brought about the total defeat of the DPRK’s forces.

MacArthur then made a fateful decision to attack the North. China entered the fighting, forcing MacArthur into a costly retreat. The battle line stabilized near the 38th parallel, where it remained for two years. On 27 July 1953, a peace agreement finally was signed by all parties. The war killed an estimated 415,000 South Koreans, 23,300 Americans, 3,100 UN allies, and, according to official numbers, 50,000 North Koreans and Chinese (although this number is thought to be as high as 2 million).

Post-War History The DPRK, with the aid of China and the former Soviet Union, began to restore its war-damaged economy. By the end of the 1950s, Kim Il Sung had emerged as the unchallenged leader of the DPRK. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the DPRK extended its diplomatic relations to more than 100 countries. In the 1980s, Korea’s basic divisions remained unresolved, but there was some improvement in relations between the North and South. The DPRK provided aid to the ROK after a flood in 1984. Talks under Red Cross sponsorship led to a brief reunion of separated families in 1985. The DPRK did not participate, however, in the 1988 summer Olympic Games, officially hosted by the ROK, since it was not named as cohost.

The collapse of the Soviet Union cut off an important source of economic and political support for the DPRK. In 1990, China and the ROK began to encourage mutual trade and in 1992 the two established formal diplomatic relations with each other. Beginning in 1993, China demanded that all its exports to the DPRK be paid for with cash instead of through barter. The DPRK found itself increasingly isolated and in severe economic difficulty.

In the first half of the 1990s, the DPRK’s foreign relations revolved around the issue of nuclear capabilities. It was suspected that the DPRK was developing the technology to build nuclear weapons. Tensions were defused with an agreement for high-level talks between the United States and the DPRK. These talks were to be followed by a summit in P’yongyang between the presidents of the two Koreas, the first such summit since Korea was divided in 1945.

On 8 July 1994, just as the United States-DPRK talks were beginning, President Kim Il Sung died. The talks were held off until after Kim’s funeral on 17 July. Kim Jong Il officially replaced his father as president following an election by the Supreme People’s Assembly on 11 July 1994. Kim Jong Il remained in office after the 1998 elections.

Widespread flooding, due in part to massive deforestation, has led to a national famine. Relief efforts have not been able to provide enough food to feed the starving population. The government’s own strict authoritarian policies have made it difficult for other nations to donate food aid. By late 1997 an estimated 2 million North Koreans were starving.

Tensions over North Korea’s nuclear capabilities were revived when North Korea fired a three-stage ballistic missile over Japan into the Pacific.

North Korea sought better relations with South Korea in 2000. What became known as South Korean President Kim Dae-jung’s “sunshine policy” of better relations toward the North resulted in the signing of a joint agreement at a summit in P’yongyang between Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong Il in June 2000. In 2003, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun pledged to continue the “sunshine policy,” but by then relations with North Korea had gotten worse. This was due to revelations in October 2002 that North Korea was undertaking a program to enrich uranium for use in nuclear weapons. This revelation came on the heels of U.S. President George W. Bush’s January 2002 State of the Union Address, in which he labeled North Korea (along with Iran and Iraq) as a state that endangers the peace of the world by supporting terrorism and developing weapons of mass destruction (chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons).

In January 2003, North Korea announced it would withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. In August 2003, the United States, South Korea, Japan, Russia, China, and North Korea met in Beijing for talks on North Korea’s nuclear program. The meeting failed to bridge the gap between the United States and North Korea. Further talks between the six parties were planned, but in October 2003, North Korea announced it had reprocessed 8,000 spent plutonium fuel rods for use in nuclear weapons. One of the greatest fears is that North Korea would sell plutonium or enriched uranium to rogue states or terrorists for use in making nuclear weapons. In late 2005, after two years of six-nation talks, North Korea agreed to dismantle its nuclear program in exchange for energy aid, economic cooperation, and security assurances, although the program was not expected to begin for several years.

In July 2006, North Korea launched seven missiles, including the long-range Taepodong-2, which failed. The United States and Japan in particular, condemned the launchings, and China urged calm. North Korea remained defiant, stating that the missile launchings were a matter of national sovereignty. The Taepodong-2 is thought to be able to reach Alaska.

13 Government

In theory, the highest state power is the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA), with 687 members in 2005. In practice, however, governmental control rests with the leadership of the Korean Workers’ (Communist) Party and the military. Prior to 1998, the SPA elected the president of the DPRK, the Central People’s Committee, and the Administrative Council (cabinet). The post of president was abolished in 1998, however, four years after the death of Kim Il Sung. The state ideology is self-reliance (Chuch’e or Juch’e), the Korean version of Marxism-Leninism. Kim Jong Il assumed his father’s responsibilities and was formally acknowledged as the nation’s leader in 1998. Suffrage extends to all men and women 17 years of age or older. Elections are on a single slate of communist-approved candidates, on a yes-or-no basis. There are nine provinces in the DPRK, plus four provincial-level cities. The provinces are divided into cities (si), counties

BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE

Name: Kim Jong Il

Position: National Defense Commission Chairman of a authoritarian socialist regime

Took Office: 11 July 1994 (upon the death of his father)

Birthplace: A Soviet camp near Khaborovsk, Siberia

Birthdate: February 1942

Education: Kim Il Sung University, degree in political economy, 1964; aviation school, East Germany

Children: Three children

Of interest: Jong is known to have a passion for film. He rarely speaks in public and some consider him to be shy.

(kun), or districts (kuyok); and villages (eup), towns (ri), blocks (dong), or workers’ districts.

14 Political Parties

On 10 October 1945, the Communist Party merged with the New Democratic Party to form the Korean Workers’ (Communist) Party, now the ruling party of the DPRK. The National Party Congress adopts the party program and approves the political line set by its Central People’s Committee; as of 2005, no party congress had been held since 1980. Officially, there are two non-communist political parties: the Korean Social Democratic Party and the Friends Party, founded in 1946 for adherents of the Ch’ondogyo faith.

15 Judicial System

The DPRK’s judicial system consists of the central court, formerly called the supreme court; the courts of provinces, cities, and counties; and special courts (military and transport courts). Most cases are first tried by people’s courts at the city or county level. Provincial courts try important cases and examine appeals of lower court judgments. Prosecution of alleged crimes against the state is conducted in secret outside the judicial system.

Reports from defectors in 2005 were that 150,000 to 200,000 political prisoners and family members were being detained in DPRK security camps in remote areas.

16 Armed Forces

The DPRK has one of the world’s largest and best-equipped armed forces. Out of an estimated 1.1 million personnel on active duty in 2005, 950,000 were in the army, 46,000 in the navy, and 110,000 in the air force. An additional 4.7 million were in the reserves, and there was a civilian militia of 3.5 million. Defense expenditures in 2005 totaled an estimated $1.9 billion. Concern has been raised abroad about the DPRK’s growing capacity to produce weapons-grade nuclear material and its refusal to submit to inspections.

17 Economy

The Korean War devastated much of the DPRK’s economy, but postwar reconstruction helped repair it rapidly. The Communist regime has used its rich mineral resources to promote industry, especially heavy industry. Available information suggests that since the early 1990s the country has suffered serious economic problems. A reduction in oil imports from Russia has limited production in many key areas of the economy.

The United States agreed in 2000 to lift some of the economic sanctions implemented against North Korea since 1950, in order to aid the starving population.

The Bank of Korea, the most reliable source of economic data on the DPRK, estimates that the economy expanded 1.3% in 2000 and 3.7% in 2001. In 2002 a series of market-oriented reforms were undertaken. Three new special economic zones (SEZs) were announced, making a total of four; these regions are designed to attract foreign investment, particularly from China and South Korea. In November 2002 the United States announced that it was suspending oil shipments, and that the work on light-water nuclear reactors that was agreed upon in 1994 was going to be slowed. This policy change occurred because the DPRK stated it had begun enriching uranium and reprocessing plutonium for possible use in building nuclear weapons.

There is no available data to highlight the inflation or unemployment rates, but it is expected that the country is suffering from high levels of technical unemployment. Food shortages continue to be a problem, with large-scale military spending eating up much of the resources that could solve this problem. The government tried to respond by allowing private markets to sell a wider range of goods, and by permitting private farming on an experimental basis. In 2005, however, some of these policies were restricted, and plans were made to expel all nongovernmental organizations by year’s end.

18 Income

The United States government estimated the DPRK’s gross domestic product (GDP) to be $40 billion in 2005, or $1,800 per person. The annual growth rate of GDP was estimated at 1%. Foreign aid receipts amounted to about $5 per person.

19 Industry

The Communist regime has emphasized the development of manufacturing. By the late

Yearly Growth Rate

This economic indicator tells by what percent the economy has increased or decreased when compared with the previous year.

1980s, heavy industry accounted for 50% of total industrial production. About 90% of all industry is state-owned.

Iron and steel manufacturing amounted to 6.6 million tons of pig iron and conversion pig iron and 8.1 million tons of steel (including rolled steel) in 1995. Industrial plants produce sophisticated machinery, including generators, bulldozers, high-speed engines, and diesel locomotives. Other plants produce cement (17 million tons in 1995), refined lead (80,000 tons), zinc (200,000 tons), metal-cutting lathes, tractors, and trucks.

The chemical industry produced an estimated 1.2 million tons of chemical fertilizers and 56,000 tons of synthetic plastic resins in 1994. Oil refining capacity was recorded at approximately 71,000 barrels per day in 2000. Textiles production increased rapidly in the 1970s; North Korea also produces clothing, jackets, and shoes. The DPRK manufactures and exports a variety of missiles.

In 2004, industry made up 34% of the economy, with services accounting for 36% and agriculture for 30%. However, the country’s industrial stock is suffering from underinvestment and spare parts shortages, and is considered to be beyond repair.

20 Labor

The labor force was estimated at 9.6 million in 2001 (the latest year for which data was available). School children are occasionally assigned to factories or farms for short periods to meet production goals. The 8-hour workday is standard but most laborers work 12 to 16 hours daily during production campaigns.

There is no minimum wage; salaries in foreign-owned businesses were estimated at $110 per month in 2002. The average salary in the public sector is not known.

21 Agriculture

About 22% of all land can be classified as arable. Rice is the principal crop, occupying 20% of all farmland in 2003. Total rice production reached 2,370,000 tons in 2004. The leading grains after rice are corn, wheat, millet, and barley. Other important crops include soybeans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rye, tobacco, and cotton. Total production of grains in 2003 totaled about 4.3 million tons.

22 Domesticated Animals

In 2005, livestock totals were estimated at 578,000 head of cattle, 3.2 million hogs, 172,000 sheep, 2.75 million goats, and 48,000

Components of the Economy

This pie chart shows how much of the country’s economy is devoted to agriculture (including forestry, hunting, and fishing), industry, or services.

horses. Livestock raising is generally associated with the state farms. Meat produced in 2005 totaled 250,000 tons. Other products included 94,000 tons of milk and 136,000 tons of eggs.

23 Fishing

The catch from the sea and from freshwater aqua-culture includes mackerel, anchovy, tuna, mullet, rainbow trout, squid, kelp, sea urchin eggs, pollack eggs, and shrimp. In 2003, the total catch was estimated at 712,995 tons, much of which is now exported. The main fishing ports are on the east coast.

24 Forestry

In 2000, forests and woodland covered about 8.2 million hectares (20.3 million acres). Predominant trees include oak, alder, larch, pine, spruce, and fir. In 2004, timber production was estimated at 7.2 million cubic meters (255 million cubic feet). About 80% of the timber cut was used for fuel. Sawn wood production in 2004 was 280,000 cubic meters (9.9 million cubic feet); wood pulp, 56,000 tons; and paper and paperboard, 80,000 tons.

Yearly Balance of Trade

The balance of trade is the difference between what a country sells to other countries (its exports) and what it buys (its imports). If a country imports more than it exports, it has a negative balance of trade (a trade deficit). If exports exceed imports there is a positive balance of trade (a trade surplus).

25 Mining

The leading minerals are coal, iron ore, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals. Production in 2004 included 25,000 tons of graphite, 12,000 tons of copper, 62,000 tons of zinc, 20,000 tons of lead, 6,000 kilograms (13,228 pounds) of gold, 20 tons of silver, and 600 tons of tungsten. North Korea also produced nitrogen, salt, and soapstone.

26 Foreign Trade

The DPRK’s principal exports include rice, pig iron, rolled steel, cement, machinery of various types, chemicals, magnesite, textiles, weapons,

Selected Social Indicators

The statistics below are the most recent estimates available as of 2006. For comparison purposes, data for the United States and averages for low-income countries and high-income countries are also given. About 15% of the world’s 6.5 billion people live in high-income countries, while 37% live in low-income countries.

Indicator	Korea (DPRK)	Low-income countries	High-income countries	United States
sources: World Bank. World Development Indicators. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank, 2006; Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 2006; World Resources Institute, Washington, D.C.
Per capita gross national income (GNI)*	$1,700	$2,258	$31,009	$39,820
Population growth rate	0.9%	2%	0.8%	1.2%
People per square kilometer of land	186	80	30	32
Life expectancy in years: male	61	58	76	75
female	67	60	82	80
Number of physicians per 1,000 people	3.3	0.4	3.7	2.3
Number of pupils per teacher (primary school)	n.a	43	16	15
Literacy rate (15 years and older)	99%	65%	>95%	99%
Television sets per 1,000 people	160	84	735	938
Internet users per 1,000 people	n.a.	28	538	630
Energy consumed per capita (kg of oil equivalent)	896	501	5,410	7,843
CO² emissions per capita (metric tons)	3.18	0.85	12.97	19.92
* The GNI is the total of all goods and services produced by the residents of a country in a year. The per capita GNI is calculated by dividing a country’s GNI by its population and adjusting for relative purchasing power.
n.a.: data not available >: greater than <: less than

and gold. Imports include petroleum, coking coal, wheat, cotton, and machinery.

China is the DPRK’s largest trading partner. Other principal trading partners are Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Russia. In 2004, exports reached $1.3 billion, while imports grew to $2.8 billion.

27 Energy and Power

North Korea has no known reserves of petroleum or natural gas, but does have reserves of coal. Imports of crude oil and refined petroleum products in 2002 averaged 24,070 barrels per day. Refinery output that year averaged 12,080 barrels per day. There were no known imports or production of natural gas in 2002.

Coal is by far the most important component of energy production. In 2000, coal accounted for 86% of primary energy consumption. Estimated coal production in 2002 was 31,912,000 million tons.

North Korea’s electric power capacity in 2002 came to 9.5 million kilowatts. Electric power output in 2002 totaled 19.122 billion kilowatt hours. Hydropower is an important source of electricity.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) began inspections of DPRK nuclear facilities in March 1991. The inspectors wanted to determine whether or not the DPRK was reprocessing old nuclear reactor fuel in order to build a nuclear weapon. In 1994, the United States and North Korea negotiated an “Agreed Framework”: North Korea agreed to give up its nuclear weapon ambitions in exchange for United States’ assistance with the construction of two safer light-water nuclear reactors and shipments of oil. In 2002, however, it was revealed that North Korea was trying to enrich uranium, for use in producing nuclear weapons. In January 2003, North Korea pulled out of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. The country later acknowledged it was pursuing the reprocessing of plutonium, another raw material used in the building of nuclear weapons. In April 2003, North Korea stated it possessed nuclear weapons. In August 2003, talks among six nations—the United States, China, South Korea, Japan, Russia, and North Korea—began to address the nuclear situation in the DPRK. Those talks continued through 2006.

28 Social Development

All men and women of working age are required to work, and all economic activity is run by the state. The government provides any medical, pension, or other welfare program benefits to the workers. The country relies heavily on international aid for basic subsistence.

The constitution guarantees equal rights for women. The state provides nurseries and day-care centers, and large families are encouraged. Some 20% of North Korean children are suffering from malnutrition and about 80,000 of them are in danger of dying from hunger and disease.

Human rights organizations are not allowed to operate in the country. An estimated 150,000 political prisoners are held in rural camps and forced to undertake hard labor.

The government classifies all citizens into three groups: core, wavering, and hostile. The security rating is a mark of how much loyalty the government expects that the individual will give. The rating may be considered when the government allocates housing, employment, medical, and other benefits. Travel abroad is prohibited; travel within the country also is strictly controlled. Listening to foreign broadcasts or possession of banned reading materials are offenses punishable by death.

29 Health

In 2004, there were an estimated 330 physicians and 180 nurses for every 100,000 people. Throughout the country, Western medicine is used alongside traditional Eastern medicine practices (tonguihak.)

Cancer, heart disease, and high blood pressure are the leading causes of death. Average life expectancy in 2005 was about 64 years. In 2005 the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) prevalence rate was less than 0.10 per 100 adults.

30 Housing

The Korean War (1950–53) destroyed about one-third of the country’s housing. Available figures for 1980–88 show a total housing stock of 4.6 million, with 4.5 people per dwelling. The government reported that heavy floods in 1995 caused 500,000 residents to become homeless.

31 Education

Both primary and secondary education are free and compulsory for 10 years, beginning at age five. In 2000 North Korea had 4,886 primary schools (with 1,609,865 pupils), 4,772 senior middle schools (with 2,181,524 pupils), and over 300 colleges and universities.

Kim Il Sung University (founded in 1946) in P’yongyang had about 16,000 full-time and part-time students and about 3,000 faculty as of the early 1990s. Admission to the university is by intensely competitive examination. A system of adult schools, correspondence courses, and workplace schools makes higher education widely available. The adult literacy rate was reported to be 99% in 2002.

32 Media

Telephones are believed to be used primarily for government business. In 2003, there were an estimated 41 mainline telephones for every 1,000 people. There are two radio networks and two television networks. Radios and televisions are pretuned to respond to these government stations. In 2003 there were 154 radios for every 1,000 people. In 2003 there were 160 televisions for every 1,000 people. Internet access is available only to government officials and foreign visitors.

All newspapers and periodicals in the DPRK are published by government or party organizations. As of 2002, there were four daily newspapers in publication. The leading national newspapers and their publishers are: Rodong Sinmun (Central Committee of the Korean Workers’ Party, circulation 1,500,000); Minju Choson (Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly and the cabinet, circulation 200,000); Joson Immingun (Korean People’s Army Daily); and Rodong Chongnyon (Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League).

33 Tourism and Recreation

Most sightseeing takes place in the capital city of P’yongyang. Travel outside P’yongyang is closed to individual tourists but available to groups. The two most outstanding tourist sites outside the capital are the Kumgang (Diamond) Mountains in the southwest and Mount Paektu (Paektu San) on the Chinese border. Tourists from the United States and the Republic of Korea may need an invitation to travel to the DPRK.

Wrestling, tug-of-war, chess (with pieces different from the European form), and kite fighting are traditional sports.

34 Famous Koreans

Among the many historical figures of united Korea are Kim Yosin (595–673), a warrior and folk hero in Silla’s struggle to unify the peninsula, and Yi Ha-ung (1820–1898), known as the Taewon’gun (Prince Regent), the central political figure of the late nineteenth century. The dominant political figure of the DPRK is Kim Il Sung (1912–1994), the leader of the nation from 1948 until his death. His son, Kim Jong Il (b.1942), succeeded him.