North Korea

For the history of Korea, see Korea.

조선민주주의인민공화국 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國 Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguka Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: 강성대국 (强盛大國) (A powerful and prosperous country)
Anthem: Aegukka
Capital (and largest city)	P'yŏngyang 39°2′N 125°45′E
Official languages	Korean
Government	Juche Communist Dictatorshipb
- Eternal President    of the Republic	Kim Il-sung (deceased)c
- Chairman of the NDC	Kim Jong-ild
- President of the SPA	Kim Yong-name
- Premier	Kim Yong-il
Establishment
- Independence declared	March 1 1919h
- Liberation	August 15 1945
- Formal declaration	September 9 1948
Area
- Total	120,540 km² (98th) 46,528 sq mi
- Water (%)	4.87
Population
- 2006 estimate	23,113,019f
- census	n/a
- Density	190/km² 492/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2006 g estimate
- Total	$22.85 billion
- Per capita	$1,007
HDI  (2003)	n/a (n/a)
Currency	Wŏn (₩) (KPW)
Time zone	Korea Standard Time (UTC+9)
- Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+9)
Internet TLD	none (.kp reserved)
Calling code	+850
a Administrative Divisions and Population Figures (#26) (PDF). DPRK: The Land of the Morning Calm. Permanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Use (2003-04). Retrieved 2006-10-10. bThe CIA World Fact Book (2007) uses the term "Communist one-man dictatorship." The Juche ideology is expressed in the constitution. cDied 1994. d Kim Jong-il is the nation's most prominent leading figure and a government figure head, although he is not the head of state or the head of government; his official title is Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea, a position which he has held since 1994. e Kim Yong-nam is the "head of state for foreign affairs". f Source: CIA World Factbook, North Korea itself does not disclose figures. g Source: Foreign & Commonwealth Office, UK h Symbolic.

North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (the DPRK), is an East Asian country in the northern half of the Korean Peninsula, with its capital in the city of Pyongyang. At its northern border are China on the Yalu River and Russia on the Tumen River, in the far northeastern corner of the country. To the south, it is bordered by South Korea, with which it formed one nation until the division following World War II.

History

See also: History of Korea  and Division of Korea

Emergence of North Korea

In the aftermath of the Japanese occupation of Korea, which ended with Japan's defeat in World War II in 1945, Korea was divided in two along the 38th parallel; the Soviet Union controlled the area north of the parallel and the United States controlled the area south of the parallel. Virtually all Koreans welcomed liberation from Japanese imperial rule, yet objected to re-imposition of foreign rule upon the peninsula. The Soviets and Americans disagreed on the implementation of Joint Trusteeship over Korea, with each imposing its socio-economic and political system upon its jurisdiction, leading, in 1948, to the establishment of ideologically opposed governments. Growing tensions and border skirmishes between north and south led to the civil war called the Korean War.

On June 25, 1950 the (North) Korean People's Army crossed the 38th Parallel in a war of peninsular reunification under their political system. The war continued until July 27, 1953, when the United Nations Command, the Korean People's Army, and the Chinese People's Volunteers signed the Korean War Armistice Agreement. Since that time the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) has separated the North and South.

Economic evolution

In the aftermath of the Korean War and throughout the 1960s and '70s, the country's state-controlled economy grew at a significant rate and, until the late 1970s, was considered to be stronger than that of the South. The country struggled throughout the 1990s, primarily due to the loss of strategic trade arrangements with the USSR and strained relations with China following China's normalization with South Korea in 1992. In addition, North Korea experienced record-breaking floods (1995 and 1996) followed by several years of equally severe drought beginning in 1997. This, compounded with only 18 percent arable land and an inability to import the goods necessary to sustain industry, led to an immense famine and left North Korea in economic shambles. Large numbers of North Koreans illegally entered the People's Republic of China in search of food. Faced with a country in decay, Kim Jong-il adopted a "Military-First" policy to strengthen the country and reinforce the regime.

Government and politics

File:Juche Tower.jpg

The Tower of Juche Idea in Pyongyang.

North Korea is officially described as a Juche (self-reliance) State. Government is organized as dictatorship. Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea, was the country's first and only president. He was not replaced, instead receiving the designation of "Eternal President," and rests in the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in central Pyongyang. The active position has been abolished in deference to the memory of Kim Il-sung.

The de facto head of state is Kim Jong-il, who is Chairman of the National Defence Commission as well as the Eternal President's son. The legislature of North Korea is the Supreme People's Assembly, currently led by President Kim Yong-nam. The other senior government leader is Premier Kim Yong-il.

North Korea is a single-party state with a Stalinist, authoritarian, and totalitarian regime. The governing party is the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland, a coalition made up of three smaller parties, the Workers Party of Korea, the Korean Social Democratic Party and the Chondoist Chongu Party. These parties nominate all candidates for office and hold all seats in the Supreme People's Assembly.

Human rights

Multiple international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, accuse North Korea of having one of the worst human rights records of any nation, with severe restrictions on political and economic freedoms. North Korean defectors have testified to the existence of prison and detention camps with an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 inmates, and have reported torture, starvation, rape, murder and forced labor.

Foreign relations

File:DRPK Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.jpg

Kim Jong-il (left), with his father Kim Il-sung around 1986.

Since the cease fire of the Korean War in 1953, the North Korean government has been at odds with the United States, Japan and South Korea (with whom it remains technically at war). North Korea's relations with the United States have become particularly tense in recent years. In 2002, U.S. President George W Bush labeled North Korea part of an "axis of evil" and an "outpost of tyranny." The highest-level contact the government has had with that of the United States was with U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who made a 2000 visit to Pyongyang; the countries do not have formal diplomatic relations. In 2006 approximately 37,000 American soldiers remained in South Korea, with plans to reduce this number to 25,000 by 2008. Despite the frequent saber rattling, Kim Jong-il has frequently stated both privately and publicly his acceptance of U.S. troops on the peninsula even after a possible reunification. The idea is that once North Korea and U.S. normalize relations, the presence of U.S. troops would have a stabilizing effect on the peninsula - particularly to assure Koreans of a checked Japan, following almost a half-century of colonialization.

Both the North and South Korean governments proclaim that they are seeking eventual reunification as a goal. North Korea's policy is to seek reunification without what it sees as outside interference, through a federal structure retaining each side's leadership and systems. Both North and South Korea signed the June 15th North-South Joint Declaration in 2000, in which both sides made promises to seek out a peaceful reunification.

North Korea has maintained close relations with the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation. The fall of communism in eastern Europe in 1989 and the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 resulted in a devastating drop in aid to North Korea from Russia, although China continues to provide substantial assistance. North Korea continues to have strong ties with its socialist Asian allies in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Military

File:Pyongyang Parade.jpg

Military Parade

Kim Jong-il is the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and Chairman of the National Defense Commission. The Korean People's Army is the name for the collective armed personnel of the North Korean military. The army has four branches: Ground Force, Naval Force, Air Force and the Civil Securities Force. According to the US State Department, North Korea has the fourth-largest military in the world, at an estimated 1.21 million armed personnel, with about 20% of men ages 17-54 in the regular armed forces. Annual military spending is estimated as high as $5 Billion USD (20% of GDP), compared with South Korea's $21.06 Billion USD (2.5% of GDP). North Korea has perhaps the world's second-largest special operations force (estimated at 100,000 as of 2002), designed for insertion and sabotage behind enemy lines in wartime.

Nuclear weapons program

On October 9 2006, North Korea conducted its first nuclear test. The blast was smaller than expected and U.S. officials suggested that it may have been an unsuccessful test or a partially successful fizzle. North Korea has previously stated that it has produced nuclear weapons and according to U.S. intelligence and military officials it has produced, or has the capability to produce, up to six or seven such devices. As of October 2006, North Korea is not believed to have the capability to deliver a nuclear warhead by affixing to a missile or other nuclear weapons delivery system. The most likely means of transport would be aircraft, which could be monitored.

Geography

Map of North Korea

See also: Korean Peninsula

North Korea is on the northern portion of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea shares land borders with China and Russia to the north, and with South Korea to the south. To its west are the Yellow Sea and Korea Bay, and to its east is the Sea of Japan. Japan lies east of the peninsula across the Sea of Japan.

The highest point in Korea is the Paektu-san at 2,744 meters (9,003 ft), and major rivers include the Tumen and the Yalu.

The local climate is relatively temperate, with precipitation heavier in summer during a short rainy season called changma, and winters that can be bitterly cold on occasion. North Korea's capital and largest city is P'yŏngyang; other major cities include Kaesŏng in the south, Sinŭiju in the northwest, Wŏnsan and Hamhŭng in the east and Ch'ŏngjin in the northeast.

Economy

A satellite photo of the Korean Peninsula at night illustrates the large differences between North Korea and South Korea as well as a similar contrast between North Korea and China.

File:MetroPyongyang.jpg

Pyongyang metro.

In the aftermath of the Korean War and throughout the 1960s and '70s, the country's state-controlled economy grew at a significant rate and, until the late 1970s, was considered to be stronger than that of the South. State-owned industry produces nearly all manufactured goods. The government focuses on heavy military industry, following Kim Jong-il's adoption of a "Military-First" policy. Estimates of the North Korea economy cover a broad range, as the country does not release official figures and the secretive nature of the country makes outside estimation difficult. According to accepted estimates, North Korea spends $5 billion USD out of a Gross Domestic Product of $20.9 billion on the military, compared with South Korea's $15.49 billion out of a GDP of $852.74 billion.

1990's Famine

In the 1990s North Korea faced significant economic disruptions, including a series of natural disasters, economic mismanagement, serious fertilizer shortages, and the collapse of the Soviet bloc. These resulted in a shortfall of staple grain output of more than 1 million tons from what the country needs to meet internationally-accepted minimum dietary requirements. The famine resulted in the deaths of between 300,000 and 800,000 North Koreans per year during the three year famine, peaking in 1997, with 2.0 million total being "the highest possible estimate." The deaths were most likely caused by famine-related illnesses such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and diarrhea rather than starvation.

In 2006, Amnesty International reported that a national nutrition survey conducted by the North Korean government, the World Food Programme, and UNICEF found that 7 per cent of children were severely malnourished; 37 per cent were chronically malnourished; 23.4 per cent were underweight; and one in three mothers was malnourished and anaemic as the result of the lingering effect of the famine. The inflation caused by some of the 2002 economic reforms, including the "Military-first" policy, was cited for creating the increased price of basic foods.

Beginning in 1997, the U.S. began shipping food aid to North Korea through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to combat the famine. Shipments peaked in 1999 at nearly 700,000 tons making the U.S. the largest foreign aid donor to the country at the time. Under the Bush Administration aid was drastically reduced year over year from 350,000 tons in 2001 to 40,000 in 2004. The Bush Administration took criticism for using "food as a weapon" during talks over the North's nuclear weapons program, but insisted the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) criteria were the same for all countries and the situation in North Korea had "improved significantly since it's collapse in the mid-1990's." Agricultural production had increased from about 2.7 million metric tons in 1997 to 4.2 million metric tons in 2004.

Foreign Commerce

File:Hamhung Goat Farm.jpg

Collective farm in Hamhung.

China and South Korea remain the largest donors of unconditional food aid to North Korea. The U.S. objects to this manner of donating food due to lack of oversight. In 2005, China and South Korea combined to provide 1 million tons of food aid, each contributing half. In addition to food aid, China reportedly provides an estimated 80 to 90 percent of North Korea's oil imports at "friendly prices" that are sharply lower than the world market price.

On 19 September 2005, North Korea was promised fuel aid and various other non-food incentives from South Korea, the U.S., Japan, Russia, and China in exchange for abandoning its nuclear weapons program and rejoining the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Providing food in exchange for abandoning weapons programs has historically been avoided by the U.S. so as not to be perceived as "using food as a weapon". Humanitarian aid from North Korea's neighbors has been cut off at times to provoke North Korea to resume boycotted talks, such as South Korea's "postponed consideration" of 500,000 tons of rice for the North in 2006 but the idea of providing food as a clear incentive (as opposed to resuming "general humanitarian aid") has been avoided.

File:PC factory.jpg

North Korea's high-tech industrial activity has increased in the past decade.

In July 2002, North Korea started experimenting with capitalism in the Kaesŏng Industrial Region. A small number of other areas have been designated as Special Administrative Regions, including Sinŭiju along the China-North Korea border. China and South Korea are the biggest trade partners of North Korea, with trade with China increasing 38% to $1.02 billion in 2003, and trade with South Korea increasing 12% to $724 million in 2003. It is reported that the number of mobile phones in P'yŏngyang rose from only 3,000 in 2002 to approximately 20,000 during 2004. As of June 2004, however, mobile phones became forbidden again. A small amount of capitalistic elements are gradually spreading from the trial area, including a number of advertising billboards along certain highways. Recent visitors have reported that the number of open-air farmers' markets has increased in Kaesong, P'yŏngyang, as well as along the China-North Korea border, bypassing the food rationing system.

In an event in 2003 dubbed the "Pong Su incident," a North Korean cargo ship allegedly attempting to smuggle heroin into Australia was seized by Australian officials, strengthening Australian and United States' suspicions that Pyongyang engages in international drug smuggling. The North Korean government denied any involvement.

Demographics

North Korea's population of roughly 23 million is one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous in the world, with very small numbers of Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and European expatriate minorities.

Religion

File:River Pothong.jpg

View of the Pothong River overlooking Pyongyang.

North Korea shares with South Korea a Buddhist and Confucian heritage and recent history of Christian and Chondogyo ("Heavenly Way") movements. The North Korean Constitution protects freedom of religion, however, according to Human Rights Watch, ever since the rise of communism, free religious activities no longer exist as the government sponsors religious groups only to create an illusion of religious freedom .

Pyongyang was the center of Christian activity in Korea before the Korean War. Today, two state-sanctioned churches exist, which freedom of religion advocates allege are showcases for foreigners. Official government statistics report that there are 10,000 Protestants and 4,000 Roman Catholics in North Korea.

According to a ranking published by Open Doors, an organization that supports persecuted Christians, North Korea is currently the country with the most severe persecution of Christians in the world. Human rights groups such as Amnesty International also have expressed concerns about religious persecution in North Korea.

Language

North Korea shares the Korean language with South Korea. There are dialect differences within both Koreas, but the border between North and South does not represent a major linguistic boundary. The adoption of modern terms from foreign languages has been limited in North Korea, while prevalent in the South. Hanja (Chinese characters) are no longer used in North Korea, although still occasionally used in South Korea. Both Koreas share the Hangul writing system, called Chosongul in North Korea. The official Romanisation differs in the two countries, with North Korea using a slightly modified McCune-Reischauer system, and the South using the Revised Romanization of Korean.

Culture

Scene from Mass Games in Pyongyang.

There is a vast cult of personality around Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il and much of North Korea's literature, popular music, theater, and film glorify the two men.^{[citation needed]}

A popular event in North Korea is the Mass Games. The most recent and largest Mass Games was called "Arirang." It was performed six nights a week for two months, and involved over 100,000 performers. The Mass Games involve performances of dance, gymnastic, and choreographic routines which celebrate the history of North Korea and the Workers' Party Revolution. The Mass Games are held in Pyongyang at various venues (varying according to the scale of the Games in a particular year) including the May Day Stadium.

File:Grand People Palace of Studies.jpg

Grand People's Palace of Studies

Culture is officially protected by the North Korean government. Big buildings committed to culture have been built, such as the People's Palace of Culture or the Grand People's Palace of Studies, both in Pyongyang. Outside the capital, there's a major theatre in Hamhung and in every city there are State-run theatres and stadiums.

File:Hamhung Theatre.jpg

Hamhung Theatre, the largest in North Korea.

Korean culture came under attack during the Japanese rule from 1910-1945. Japan enforced a cultural assimilation policy. Koreans were forced to learn and speak Japanese, adopt the Japanese family name system and Shinto religion, and forbidden to write or speak the Korean language in schools, businesses, or public places. In addition, the Japanese altered or destroyed various Korean monuments including Gyeongbok Palace (경복궁, Gyeongbokgung) and documents which portrayed the Japanese in a negative light were revised. This methodical alteration process was done by the Editing Agency of Korean History (조선사편수회, Joseonsa Pyeonsuhoe).

In July 2004, the Complex of Goguryeo Tombs was the first site in North Korea to be included into the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

Administrative divisions

See also: Provinces of Korea  and Special cities of Korea

North Korea is divided into nine provinces, three special regions, and two directly-governed cities (chikhalsi, 직할시, 直轄市):

Administrative map of North Korea.

Provinces

Province	Transliteration	Hangul	Hanja
Chagang	Chagang-do	자강도	慈江道
North Hamgyŏng	Hamgyŏng-pukto	함경북도	咸鏡北道
South Hamgyŏng	Hamgyŏng-namdo	함경남도	咸鏡南道
North Hwanghae	Hwanghae-pukto	황해북도	黃海北道
South Hwanghae	Hwanghae-namdo	황해남도	黃海南道
Kangwŏn	Kangwŏndo	강원도	江原道
North P'yŏngan	P'yŏngan-pukto	평안북도	平安北道
South P'yŏngan	P'yŏngan-namdo	평안남도	平安南道
Ryanggang	Ryanggang-do	량강도	兩江道

* Sometimes rendered "Yanggang" (양강도).

Special regions

Region	Transliteration	Hangul	Hanja
Kaesŏng Industrial Region	Kaesŏng Kong-ŏp Chigu	개성공업지구	開城工業地區
Kŭmgangsan Tourist Region	Kŭmgangsan Kwangwang Chigu	금강산관광지구	金剛山觀光地區
Sinŭiju Special Administrative Region	Sinŭiju T'ŭkpyŏl Haengjŏnggu	신의주특별행정구	新義州特別行政區

Directly-governed cities

City	Transliteration	Hangul	Hanja
P'yŏngyang	P'yŏngyang Chikhalsi	평양직할시	平壤直轄市
Rasŏn (Rajin-Sŏnbong)	Rasŏn (Rajin-Sŏnbong) Chikhalsi	라선(라진-선봉)직할시	羅先(羅津-先鋒)直轄市

Major cities

Sinuiju Kaesong Nampho Chongjin Wonsan Sariwon

Hoeryong Hamhung Haeju Kanggye Hyesan Kimchaek Kangso

See also

• List of Korea-related topics
• Korean War

Further reading

• Jasper Becker, Rogue Regime: Kim Jong Il and the Looming Threat of North Korea, Oxford University Press (2005), hardcover, 328 pages, ISBN 13: 9780195170443
• Gordon Cucullu, Separated At Birth: How North Korea Became The Evil Twin, Globe Pequot Press (2004), hardcover, 307 pages, ISBN 1-59228-591-0
• Bruce Cumings, Korea's Place in the Sun: A Modern History, W.W. Norton & Company, 1998, paperback, 527 pages, ISBN 0-393-31681-5
• Bruce Cumings, Origins of the Korean War (Vol. 1): Liberation and the Emergence of Separate Regimes 1945-1947, Princeton University Press, 1981, paperback, ISBN 0-691-10113-2
• Bruce Cumings, Origins of the Korean War (Vol. 2): The Roaring of the Cataract 1947-1950, Cornell University Press, 2004, hardcover, ISBN 89-7696-613-9
• Bruce Cumings, North Korea: Another Country, New Press, 2004, paperback, ISBN 1-56584-940-X
• Bruce Cumings, Living Through The Forgotten War: Portrait Of Korea, Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies, 2004, paperback, ISBN 0-9729704-0-1
• Bruce Cumings, Inventing the Axis of Evil: The Truth About North Korea, Iran, and Syria, New Press, 2006, paperback, ISBN 1-59558-038-7
• Delisle, Guy, Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea, Drawn & Quarterly Books, 2005, hardcover, 176 pages, ISBN 1-896597-89-0
• Nick Eberstadt, aka Nicholas Eberstadt, The End of North Korea, American Enterprise Institute Press (1999), hardcover, 191 pages, ISBN 0-8447-4087-X
• John Feffer, North Korea South Korea: U.S. Policy at a Time of Crisis, Seven Stories Press, 2003, paperback, 197 pages, ISBN 1-58322-603-6
• Michael Harrold, Comrades and Strangers: Behind the Closed Doors of North Korea, Wiley Publishing, 2004, paperback, 432 pages, ISBN 0-470-86976-3
• Helen-Louise Hunter, Kim Il-song's North Korea. Praeger, 1999. ISBN 0-275-96296-2.
• Kang, Chol-Hwan (2001). The Aquariums of Pyongyang. Basic Books, 2001. ISBN 0-465-01102-0. 
• Mitchell B. Lerner, The Pueblo Incident: A Spy Ship and the Failure of American Foreign Policy, University Press of Kansas, 2002, hardcover, 408 pages, ISBN 0-7006-1171-1
• Bradley Martin, Under The Loving Care Of The Fatherly Leader: North Korea And The Kim Dynasty, St. Martins (October, 2004), hardcover, 868 pages, ISBN 0-312-32221-6
• Oberdorfer, Don. The two Koreas : a contemporary history. Addison-Wesley, 1997, 472 pages, ISBN 0-201-40927-5
• Kong Dan Oh, and Ralph C. Hassig, North Korea Through the Looking Glass, The Brookings Institution, 2000, paperback, 216 pages, ISBN 0-8157-6435-9
• Quinones, Dr. C. Kenneth, and Joseph Tragert, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding North Korea, Alpha Books, 2004, paperback, 448 pages, ISBN 1-59257-169-7
• Sigal, Leon V., Disarming Strangers: Nuclear Diplomacy with North Korea, Princeton University Press, 199, 336 pages, ISBN 0-691-05797-4
• Chris Springer, Pyongyang: The Hidden History of the North Korean Capital. Saranda Books, 2003. ISBN 963-00-8104-0.
• Vladimir, Cyber North Korea, Byakuya Shobo, 2003, paperback, 223 pages, ISBN 4-89367-881-7
• Norbert Vollertsen, Inside North Korea: Diary of a Mad Place, Encounter Books, 2003, hardcover, 280 pages, ISBN 1-893554-87-2
• Wahn Kihl, Y. (1983) "North Korea in 1983: Transforming "The Hermit Kingdom"?" Asian Survey, Vol. 24, No. 1: pp100-111
• Robert Willoughby, North Korea: The Bradt Travel Guide. Globe Pequot, 2003. ISBN 1-84162-074-2.
• Hyun Hee Kim, "The Tears of My Soul," William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1993, hardcover, 183 pages, ISBN 0-688-12833-5

External links

Korea Portal

Official / quasi-official North Korean government links

• Official Presence of the DPR Korea including the Korean Friendship Association - the site is hosted since 2000 by eNom. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• Naenara - ("My country") DPRK's Official Web Portal run by Korea Computer Company. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• The Korean Central News Agency The DPRK's news service - hosted in Japan. Retrieved August 22, 2007.

About North Korea

• DPRK Database - about North Korea. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• CIA World Factbook - "North Korea." Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• US Library of Congress - "Country Studies: North Korea" - data as of June 1993. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• North Korea International Documentation Project - Documents on North Korea. Retrieved August 22, 2007.

News sources

• BBC News - "Country Profile: North Korea." Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• Pyongyang Watch, an archive of Asia Times articles. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• Daily NK - North Korea focused daily online newspaper. Retrieved August 22, 2007.

Documentaries

• Kim's Nuclear Gamble - PBS Frontline Documentary (Video & Transcript). Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• Seoul Train Documentary on North Koreans Trying to escape via China 2004. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• The Hermit Kingdom Dan Rather 60 Minutes 02/06. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• A State of Mind Documentary by the BBC following two young North Korean gymnasts training for the mass games (2004). Retrieved August 22, 2007.

Weblogs

• One Free Korea: Updated daily; focusing on human rights, political, economic, and military issues, often with Google-Earth tours of North Korea's most secret places. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• DPRK Studies: Current analysis, commentary, and news on North Korea’s security, social, and political issues; North Korean Studies. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• NK Zone: Includes a variety of perspectives, with a greater focus on cultural and economic issues. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• RU NK: Focusing primarily on human rights issues, by a member of Liberty in North Korea. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• NK Econ Watch: Focusing mainly on economic issues. Retrieved August 22, 2007.

Photo logs

• Visitor account of North Korea. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• North Korea - photos from TripAdvisor.ru. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• Artemii Lebedev's photographs of North Korea with commentary. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• BBC News - In pictures: Unseen North Korea. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• Pictures from North Korea. Retrieved August 22, 2007.

Reunification

• Kim Il Sung: 10 Point programme for reunification of the country. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• "Korean Friendship Association" - Unification - recognized by DPRK. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• Ministry of Unification - South Korea. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• International Liaison Committee for Reunification and Peace in Korea (CILRECO) - France. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• "Korea is one" - Belgian-Korean Friendship Association. Retrieved August 22, 2007.

Miscellaneous

• North Korea: A Reporter's Notebook — Luis Ramirez (Voice of America). Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• "A Year in Pyongyang", by Andrew Holloway, 1988.. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• Pyongyang Metro System Unofficial Web Site - Examining a suspected underground military installation. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
• "Beyond the 38th Parallel", by Matt Sparrow, 2001. Retrieved August 22, 2007.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Chang, Gordon G. 2006. Nuclear showdown: North Korea takes on the world. New York: Random House. ISBN 9781400062942
• Cumings, Bruce. 2003. North Korea: another country. New York: New Press. ISBN 9781565848733
• Miller, Debra A. 2004. North Korea. World's hot spots. San Diego: Greenhaven Press. ISBN 9780737722956

Korea-related topics

North Korea  ·  South Korea

History

Timeline · List of monarchs · Military history
Gojoseon · Jin · Proto-Three Kingdoms (Buyeo • Okjeo • Dongye • Samhan) · Gaya
Three Kingdoms (Goguryeo • Baekje • Silla) · Unified Silla · Balhae · Later Three Kingdoms · Goryeo (Mongol invasion)
Joseon (Seven Year War) · Korean Empire · Japanese rule (Independence movements • March 1st Movement • Provisional Government)
Division of Korea (USAMGIK) · Korean War · North Korea · South Korea

Politics

North Korea
Government (President • Chairman • Premier • Supreme People's Assembly • Presidium) · Elections · Political parties · Workers' Party of Korea · Human rights · Nuclear program · Military · Foreign relations · "Juche"
South Korea
Government (Constitution • President • Prime Minister • Assembly) · Elections · Political parties · Human rights · Military · Foreign relations (Sunshine policy)

Economy

North Korea
List of companies · Currency · Communications · Transportation
South Korea
List of companies · Chaebol (Samsung • Hyundai • LG • SK) · "Miracle on the Han River" · Currency · 1997 financial crisis · Communications · Transportation · Real estate

Geography

Korean Peninsula · Regions · Provinces (historical) · Special cities · DMZ
Mountains (Baekdudaegan • Baekdusan • Kumgangsan • Seoraksan • Jirisan • Hallasan)
Islands (Jeju-do) · Rivers (Tumen • Yalu • Han • Nakdong) · Lakes
North Korea
Administrative divisions · Cities (Pyongyang)
South Korea
Administrative divisions · Cities (Seoul • Busan) · Environment

Demographics

North Korea
South Korea
People (List • Adoptees • Koreatown) · Language (Hangul • Hanja) · Names

Culture

Religion (Buddhism • Shamanism • Christianity) · Philosophy · Confucianism · Mythology · Cinema · Drama
Korean martial arts (Taekwondo • Hapkido) · Ssireum · Swords
Cuisine (Kimchi • Galbi • Bulgogi) · Tea ceremony
North Korea
"Juche" · Arirang Festival · Sports · Education · Religion · Tourism
South Korea
Korean wave · K-pop · Sports · Education · Religion · Tourism · Marriage

Art
Pottery · Painting · Calligraphy · Architecture · Music (Pansori • Arirang) · Literature (Poetry • Sijo • Gasa) · Cinema (Animation • List of films)

Countries and territories of East Asia

People's Republic of China		Republic of China (Taiwan)1  Japan  North Korea	South Korea  Mongolia
SARs	Hong Kong  Macau

Sometimes included: Singapore · Vietnam · Russian Far East

¹ Otherwise known as "Taiwan."

Countries of Asia

Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan¹ · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Cambodia · China, People's Republic of · China, Republic of (Taiwan)² · Cyprus · Egypt³ · Georgia¹ · India · Indonesia⁴ · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan¹ · Korea, Democratic People's Republic of · Korea, Republic of · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal · Oman · Pakistan · Philippines · Qatar · Russia¹ · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Syria · Tajikistan · Thailand · Timor-Leste (East Timor)⁴ · Turkey¹ · Turkmenistan · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen³

For dependent and other territories, see Dependent territory and List of unrecognized countries.

¹ Partly or significantly in Europe.  ² The Republic of China (Taiwan) is not officially recognized by the United Nations; see Political status of Taiwan.
³ Partly or significantly in Africa.  ⁴ Partly or wholly reckoned in Oceania.

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

• North Korea  ^history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

• History of "North Korea"

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.