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|+ 조선민주주의인민공화국
Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk
|-
| style="background:#efefef;" align="center" colspan="2" |
{| border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
| align="center" width="140px" | North korea flag large.png )
|}
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" style="border-bottom:3px solid gray;" | National motto: One is sure to win if one believes in and depends upon the people
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" | LocationNorthKorea.png || P'yŏngyang
|-
| Eternal president || Kim Il-sung (deceased)
|-
| (*****) || Kim Jong-il¹
|-
| President, Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly || Kim Yong-nam²
|-
| Premier || Pak Pong-ju
|-
| Area
- Total
- % water || Ranked 97th
120,540 km²
0.1%
|-
| Population
- Total (2002)
- Density || Ranked 48th
22,224,195 ³
182.25/km²
|-
| Independence
- Date || From Japan
August 15, 1945
|-
| Currency || North Korean won
|-
| Time zone || UTC +9
|-
| National anthem || Achimŭn pinnara
|-
| Internet TLD || None (.kp is reserved)
|-
| Calling Code || 850
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | (1) Kim Jong-il is the most powerful figure in the DPRK; the (*****) is accorded the nation's "highest administrative authority"
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | (2) Kim Yong-nam is the de facto head of state; Kim Il-sung is "Eternal President of the Republic"
|-
| colspan="2" align="left" | (3) Some aid and development agencies estimate the population at 18 to 20 million.
|}
North Korea, officially the '''Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK'; Korean: Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk; Hangul: 조선민주주의인민공화국; Hanja: 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國), is a country in eastern Asia, covering the northern half of the peninsula of Korea. To the south it borders South Korea with which it formed a single nation until 1948. Its northern border is predominantly with China, and a small section with Russia. It is more commonly known locally as Pukchosŏn ("North Chosŏn"; 북조선; 北朝鮮). Bukhan ("North Han"; 북한; 北韓) is commonly used in South Korea.

History

Main article'': History of North Korea

Japanese occupation of Korea ended after World War II in 1945. Korea was occupied by the Soviet Union north of the 38th Parallel and by the United States south of the 38th parallel, but the United States and the Soviet Union were unable to agree on implementation of Joint Trusteeship over Korea. This led in 1948 to the establishment of separate governments in the north and south, each claiming to be the legitimate government over all of Korea.

Growing tensions between the governments in the north and south eventually led to the Korean War, when on June 25th 1950 the (North) Korean People's Army crossed the 38th Parallel and attacked in force. The war continued until July 27th 1953, when the United Nations Command, the Chinese People's Volunteers and North Korea signed the Korean War Armistice Agreement. The demilitarized zone, or DMZ, was established to separate the two countries.

North Korea was ruled from 1948 by Kim Il-sung until his death on July 8, 1994. After the death of Kim Il Sung, his son Kim Jong-il was named General Secretary of the Korean Workers' Party on October 8, 1997. In 1998, the legislature reconfirmed him as (*****) and declared that position as the "highest office of state." International relations generally improved, and there was a historic North-South summit in June 2000. However, tensions recently increased when North Korea resumed its nuclear weapons program.

During Kim Jong Il's rule during the mid to late 1990s, the country's economy declined significantly, and food shortages developed in many areas. According to aid groups, a significant but unknown number of people in rural areas starved to death due to famine, exacerbated by a collapse in the food distribution system. Large numbers of North Koreans illegally entered China in search of food, and there were also stories of cannibalism.

North Korea has remained one of the most isolated places in the world, with severe restrictions on travelling in or out of the country. There is no free press, and the Juche ideology of self-reliance is paramount.

:See also: Division of Korea

Politics
Main article: Politics of North Korea

North Korea's government is dominated by the communist Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), to which all government officials belong. Minor political parties exist, but not in opposition to WPK-rule. In practice the exact power structure of the country is somewhat unclear.

Nominally the Prime Minister is the head of government, but real power lies with Kim Jong Il (the son of late Kim Il Sung), the head of the Workers' Party and the military. Kim holds a string of official titles, the most important being General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (조선로동당 총비서), Chairman of the National Defence Commission (국방위원회 위원장), and Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army (조선인민군 최고사령관). Within the country he is commonly known by the affectionate title of "Dear Leader", in contrast to Kim Il Sung, who is the "Great Leader".

North Korea's 1972 constitution was amended in late 1992 and again in 1998. The 1998 constitution states that the late Kim Il Sung is "Eternal President", occupying the presidency even after his death. The government of the republic is led by the Prime Minister and, in theory, a super cabinet called the Central People's Committee (CPC), the government's top policymaking body. The CPC is headed by the President, who also nominates the other committee members. The CPC makes policy decisions and supervises the Cabinet, or State Administration Council (SAC). SAC is headed by a Premier and is the dominant administrative and executive agency.

Officially, the parliament, the Supreme People's Assembly (최고인민회의; Choego Inmin Hoeui), is the highest organ of state power. Its 687 members are elected every four years by popular vote, although these elections are non-competitive and in practice ceremonial. Usually it holds only two annual meetings, each lasting a few days, but it mostly ratifies decisions made by the ruling KWP. A standing committee elected by the Assembly performs legislative functions when the Assembly is not in session.

Administrative divisions
Main article: Administrative divisions of North Korea
Korea_north_map.png

As of 2004, North Korea consists of two Directly-governed Cities (''Chik'alshi; 직할시; 直轄市), three special regions with various designations, and nine Provinces (Do'', singular and plural; 도; 道). (Names are romanized according to the McCune-Reischauer system as officially used in North Korea; the editor was also guided by the spellings used on the 2003 National Geographic map of Korea).

For historical information, see Provinces of Korea and Special cities of Korea.

Directly-governed Cities
- P'yŏngyang Directly-governed City (''P'yŏngyang Chik'alshi; 평양 직할시; 平壤直轄市)
- Rasŏn (Rajin-Sŏnbong) Chik'alshi (라선 (라진-선봉) 직할시; 羅先 (羅津-先鋒) 直轄市)

Special Regions
- Kaesŏng Industrial Region (Kaesŏng Kong-ŏp Chigu; 개성 공업 지구; 開城工業地區)
- Kŭmgang-san Tourist Region (Kŭmgang-san Kwangwang Chigu; 금강산 관광 지구; 金剛山觀光地區)
- Shinŭiju Special Administrative Region (Shinŭiju T'ŭkbyŏl Haengjeonggu; 신의주 특별 행정구; 新義州特別行政區)

Provinces
- Chagang Province (Chagang-do; 자강도; 慈江道)
- North Hamgyŏng Province (Hamgyŏng-bukto; 함경 북도; 咸鏡北道)
- South Hamgyŏng Province (Hamgyŏng-namdo; 함경 남도; 咸鏡南道)
- North Hwanghae Province (Hwanghae-bukto; 황해 북도; 黃海北道)
- South Hwanghae Province (Hwanghae-namdo; 황해 남도; 黃海南道)
- Kangwŏn Province (Kangwŏndo;'' 강원도; 江原道)
- North P'yŏngan Province (''P'yŏngan-bukto;'' 평안 북도; 平安北道)
- South P'yŏngan Province (''P'yŏngan-namdo; 평안 남도; 平安南道)
- Ryanggang Province (Ryanggang-do;'' 량강도; 兩江道--sometimes also spelled as 'Yanggang' in English)
kokofkos
Major Cities
- Sinuiju
- Kaesong
- Nampho
- Chongjin
- Wonsan
- Hamhung - Hamnam
- Haeju
- Kanggye
- Hyesan

Geography
Main article: Geography of North Korea

Korea forms a peninsula that extends 1,100 km from the Asian mainland. To the west it borders the West Sea (Yellow Sea) and the Korea Bay; to the east it borders the East Sea of Korea (Sea of Japan). The peninsula ends at the Korea Strait (Tsushima Strait) and the South Sea (East China Sea) to the south. The peninsula's northern part (including North Korea) has mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys in the north and east, and has coastal plains prominently in the west. The highest point in Korea is the Paektu-san at 2,744 m. Major rivers include the Tumen and the Yalu that form the northern border with Chinese Manchuria.

The local climate is relatively temperate, with precipitation heavier in summer during a short rainy season called jangma, 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, Shinŭiju in the northwest, Wŏnsan and Hamhŭng in the east and Ch'ŏngjin in the northeast.

Economy
Main article: Economy of North Korea

Following the official ideology of Juche (self-reliance) and the central planning mandated by its brand of Marxist socialism, North Korea's economy has stagnated. The government's refusal to participate in global free markets and its refusal to publicise economic data limit the amount of reliable information available. Publicly-owned industry produces nearly all manufactured goods. The regime continues to focus on heavy military industry at the expense of agriculture.

The North Korean military's effect on the economy cannot be underestimated. The government spends 33.9% of the nation's GDP on military (Compared to 3.2% for the U.S. and 1.4% spent by neighboring South Korea), and has recruited 1.2 million of the healthiest young men into the army. This focus on military spending is unheard of anywhere else in the world, and has severely depressed the North's economy for decades.

In addition, erratic policymaking, a series of natural disasters, and the collapse of the Soviet bloc have all caused the economy to stagnate. The agricultural outlook is terrible and food products are deliberately diverted away from citizens and into the military. The combined effects of a reclusive regime, serious fertilizer shortages, successive natural disasters, and structural constraints - such as little arable land and a short growing season - have reduced staple grain output to more than 1 million tons less than what the country needs to meet even minimum international requirements.

North Korea previously received a flow of international food and fuel aid from China and the United States in exchange for promises not to develop nuclear weapons. This aid has ceased since the North Korean regime revealed that it had been developing nuclear weapons in secret.

The steady flow of international food aid was critical in meeting the population's basic food needs; it has been widely believed that very little of this food aid was actually received by citizens, but was instead taken and given to the military in order to improve loyalty. Malnutrition rates are perhaps among the world's highest and estimates of mortality range in the hundreds of thousands or even millions as a direct result of malnutrition and famine-related diseases.

Recently, in July 2002, North Korea started running an experiment with capitalism in the Kaesŏng Industrial Region. A small number of other areas have been designated as Special Administrative Regions, including Shinŭiju along the China-North Korea border. China and South Korea are the biggest trade partners of North Korea, with trade with China going up 38% to $1.02 billion in 2003, and trade with South Korea going up 12% to $724 million in 2003 since the start of the experiment. 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. 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 amount of open-air farmer markets have increased in Kaesong, P'yŏngyang, as well as the China-North Korea border, bypassing the food rationing system.
Critics argue that these market reforms are merely a cover by the North Korea government, while others argue that the reforms indicate a tacit North Korea admission of the successes of a market system.

Demographics
Main article: Demographics of North Korea

North Korea's population is one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogenous in the world, with only very small Chinese and Japanese communities. Korean language is not a member of a wider linguistic family, though links to Japanese and Altaic languages are being considered. The Korean writing system, Hangul, was invented in the 15th century by (*****) to replace the system of Chinese characters, known in Korea as Hanja, which are no longer officially in use in the North. North Korea continues to use the McCune-Reischauer romanisation of Korean, in contrast to the South's revised version.

North Korea is officially atheist, although it has a Buddhist and Confucianist heritage, with Christian and traditional Chondogyo ("Heavenly Way") communities. Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, was the center of Christian activity before the Korean War.

Culture
Main article: Culture of North Korea

North Korea's government is extremely reclusive, and as a result few foreigners enter the country. In principle any person is allowed to travel to North Korea, and in practice almost no-one is refused entry by North Korea; however visitors are not allowed to travel outside designated tour areas without a government minder in tow. The daunting presence of government minders and the negative international reputation of the government discourages many outsiders from visiting. Accounts of travels throughout the region can be found in the 'External Links' section.

Panmunjeom2.jpg . [http://wikisource.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights]

See also:
- Culture of Korea
- List of Koreans
- Korean cuisine
- Music of Korea

Miscellaneous topics
- Communications in North Korea
- Transportation in North Korea
- Military of North Korea
- Foreign relations of North Korea
- Cities of North Korea
- Kimjongilia (national flower)
- List of Korea-related topics
- Public holidays in North Korea
- Korean reunification
- Korean friendship association

External links
- korea-dpr.com - Official webpage of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
- Kim Il Sung: 10 Point programme for reunification of the country
- Liberation in North Korea - grassroots organization pressing for human rights in North Korea.
- Naenara - extensive website on North Korea.
- Library of Congress: North Korea, A Country Study - Profiles the country's history, society, economy, government, politics and military.
- SinoKorea - Korea Fan Workroom (China)
- Happy Birthday, North Korea - A 1998 visit to the DPRK, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.
- Korean Central News Agency - Official DPRK news site
- North Korea Resources - Links and backgrounds on North Korea
- Another Korea - Background stories on North Korea
- Travel-Images.com - DPRK - images of North Korea
- Fancy a round, Dear leader? - Independent (newspaper) journal describing a visit inside North Korea
- Chosun Ilbo - Defector's Tales from North Korea
- BBC Radio 3: Andy Kershaw in North Korea
- BBC - This World, Documentary broadcast in the UK on BBC2 on February 1, 2004.
- U.S. Department of State Consular Information Sheet for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)
- North Korea Today- In Japanese
- Washington Post - Article about capitalism trial in Kaesŏng Industrial Park
- Korea Peace Network - Letter of Appeal to American Public on US policy towards Korea
- Air Koryo Korean Airways(JS) Official Web Site
- Air Koryo Korean Airways(JS) Unofficial Web Site
- Pyongyang Sunan International Airport(FNJ) Unofficial Web Site
- Pyongyang Metro System Unofficial Web Site - 1
- Pyongyang Metro System Unofficial Web Site - 2
- Travel Info of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
- Korean Tourist Map
- Diplomatic Mission List of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea(Unofficial Web Site)
- Foreign Trade of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea(Unofficial Web Site)
- Korean Musicals
- Korea Central Television news clips (Unofficial website)
- DPRK pictures
- The Pyongyang Times

Further reading
- Gordon Cucullu, Separated At Birth: How North Korea Became The Evil Twin, Globe Pequot Press (2004), hardcover, 307 pages, ISBN 1592285910
- Bruce Cumings, Korea's Place in the Sun: A Modern History, W.W. Norton & Company, 1998, paperback, 527 pages, ISBN 0393316815.
- Bruce Cumings, Origins of the Korean War: Liberation and the Emergence of Separate Regimes, Princeton University Press, 1981, paperback, ASIN 0691101132.
- John Feffer, North Korea South Korea: U.S. Policy at a Time of Crisis, Seven Stories Press, 2003, paperback, 197 pages, ISBN 1583226036.
- 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 0700611711.
- Norbert Vollertsen, Inside North Korea: Diary of a Mad Place, Encounter Books, 2003, hardcover, 280 pages, ISBN 1893554872.
- Oberdorfer, Don. The two Koreas : a contemporary history. Addison-Wesley, 1997. 472 pages. ISBN 0201409275.
- Quinones, Dr. C. Kenneth, and Joseph Tragert, ''The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding North Korea, Alpha Books, 2004, paperback, 448 pages, ISBN 1592571697.
- Sigal, Leon V., Disarming Strangers: Nuclear Diplomacy with North Korea, Princeton University Press, 199, 336 pages, ISBN 0691057974
- Vladimir, Cyber North Korea'', Byakuya Shobo, 2003, paperback, 223 pages, ISBN 4893678817.

da:Nordkorea
de:Nordkorea
et:Põhja-Korea
es:Corea del Norte
eo:Nord-Koreio
fr:Corée du Nord
ia:Corea del Nord
he:צפון קוריאה
it:Corea del Nord

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north

North is one of the four primary cardinal directions, specifically the direction treated, in Western culture, as the primary direction and used (explicitly or implicitly) to define all other directions. (As to the arbitrary nature of this choice, and psycho-social consequences of it, see boreocentrism.)

Definitions

North can mean:
- true north, the direction along the earth's surface toward one pole of the earth's rotation, namely the pole that is clearly on one's left when standing at the Equator while facing the rising sun.
- magnetic north, the direction along the earth's surface in which horizontal magnetic field strength has its most positive value (but see Flipping of planetary magnetic poles for an eventual event, so rare as to make unlikely any advance agreement on whether one or two retronyms would be involved in the replacement terminology)
- a loosely specified direction, usually within half a right angle of true north, especially when stating travel instructions in an area where directions of travel are constrained by an approximately rectangular grid of streets, hallways, etc.; this is often called 'grid north' or 'plan north'.
- the orientation of a traveller with respect to a visible or otherwise definite continuous two-way route, such that sustained travel over the whole of the route produces a change of position to a location further north, even if that involves travelling a part of the route in another direction, even straight south; often termed "northbound".
- pertaining to the part of a route mainly or exclusively used by northbound traffic, where southbound traffic is separated by barriers, or where both are encouraged to stay mostly in one portion by rules of the road; often termed "northbound".

Magnetic north and declination

Magnetic north is of interest because it is the direction indicated as north on a properly functioning (but uncorrected) magnetic compass. The difference between it and true north is called the magnetic declination (or simply the declination where the context is clear). For many purposes and physical circumstances, the error in direction that results from ignoring the distinction is tolerable; in others a mental or instrument compensation, based on assumed knowledge of the applicable declination, can solve all the problems. But simple generalizations on the subject should be treated as unsound, and as likely to reflect popular misconceptions about terrestrial magnetism.

Roles of north as prime direction

The visible rotation of the night sky about the visible celestial pole provides a vivid metaphor of that direction corresponding to up. Thus the choice of the north as corresponding to up in the northern hemisphere, or of south in that role in the southern, is, prior to world-wide communication, anything but an arbitrary one. On the contrary, it is of interest that Chinese culture ever considered south as the proper top end for maps.

In Western culture (unless making a point about harmful effects, or the arbitrary nature, of boreocentrism):
- Up is a metaphor for north
- Maps tend to be drawn for viewing with either true north or magnetic north at the top (page layout)
- Globes of the earth have the North Pole at the top, or if the earth's axis is represented as inclined from vertical (normally by the angle it has relative to the axis of the earth's orbit), in the top half.
- Maps are usually labelled to indicate which direction on the map corresponds to a direction on the earth,
-- usually with a single arrow oriented to the map's representation of true north,
-- occasionally with a single arrow oriented to the map's representation of magnetic north, or two arrows oriented to true and magnetic north respectively,
-- occasionally with a compass rose, but if so, usually on a map with north at the top and usually with north decorated more prominently than any other compass point.

Roles of east and west as inherently subsidiary directions

It is worth noting that while the choice of north over south as prime direction reflects quite arbitrary historical factors, east and west are not nearly as natural alternatives as first glance might suggest. Their folk definitions are, respectively, "where the sun rises" and "where it sets". Except on the Equator, however, these definitions, taken together, would imply that
- east and west would not be 180 degrees apart, but instead would differ from that by up to twice the degrees of latitude of the location in question, and
- they would each move slightly from day to day and, in the temperate zones, markedly over the course of the year.

Reasonably accurate folk astronomy, such as is usually attributed to Stone Age Celts, would arrive at east and west by noting the directions of rising and setting (preferably more than once each) and choosing as prime direction one of the two mutually opposite directions that lie halfway between those two. The true folk-astronomical definitions of east and west are "the directions, a right angle from the prime direction, that are closest to the rising and setting, respectively, of the sun (or moon).