North Korea

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North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (the DPRK), is a country in East Asia 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.

North Korea follows the Juche ideology, developed by Kim Il-sung, the country's first president. The current head of state is Kim Jong-il, the former President's son. The Juche government focuses on self-reliance, but relations are strong with socialist allies, Vietnam, Laos, and the People's Republic of China, as well as with Cambodia and Myanmar. Following a major famine in the early 1990's following the collapse of the Soviet Union, a major economic partner, leader Kim Jong-il instated the "Military-First" policy in 1995, increasing economic concentration and support for the military.

Multiple international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have accused North Korea of having one of the worst human rights records of any nation. Defectors have testified to the existence of detention camps, reporting torture, murder, and medical experimentation. Open Doors, a support group for persecuted Christians, rates North Korea the country with the worst persecution of Christians in the world.

North Korea's culture is officially protected and heavily promoted by the government. The Mass Games are government-organized events glorifying its two leaders, involving over 100,000 performers. In July 2004, the Complex of Goguryeo Tombs became the first site in the country to be included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

[edit] History

Main article: History of North Korea

See also: History of Korea and Division of Korea

[edit] 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 later divided in two at the end of the Korean War in 1953 along the 38th parallel; the Soviet Union took the surrender of Japanese forces and controlled the area north of the parallel and the United States likewise 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 establishing its socio-economic and political system upon its jurisdiction, leading, in 1948, to the establishment of ideologically opposed governments.^[4] The United States then withdrew its forces from Korea. 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 Volunteer Army signed the Korean War Armistice Agreement.^[5] Since that time the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) has separated the North and South.

[edit] 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 apparent wealth, however, was hardly distributed to the majority of the general population. The country struggled throughout the 1990s, primarily due to the loss of strategic trade arrangements with the USSR^[6] and strained relations with China following China's normalization with South Korea in 1992.^[7] In addition, North Korea experienced record-breaking floods (1995 and 1996) followed by several years of equally severe drought beginning in 1997.^[8] This, compounded with only 18 percent arable land^[9] and an inability to import the goods necessary to sustain industry,^[10] 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.^[11]

[edit] Government and politics

Main article: Politics of North Korea

North Korea is officially described as a Juche (self-reliance) State. Government is organized as a dictatorship. Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea, was the country's first and only president. Following his death in 1994 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.^[12]

The de facto head of state is Kim Jong-il, who is Chairman of the National Defense Commission as well as the former 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.

[edit] Human rights

Main article: Human rights in North Korea

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.^[13] North Koreans have been referred to as "some of the world's most brutalized people", regarding their severe restrictions on political and economic freedoms.^[14] 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, medical experimentation, forced labor, and forced abortions.^[15]

[edit] Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of North Korea

Since the ceasefire of the Korean War in 1953, the relations between the North Korean government and South Korea, the United States, and Japan have remained tense. Both Koreas are still at war, since only the fighting stopped in the ceasefire. 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.^[16]

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 visit to Pyongyang in 2000,^[17] but the two countries do not have formal diplomatic relations.^[2] In 2006, approximately 37,000 American soldiers remained in South Korea, with plans to reduce the number to 25,000 by 2008.^[18] Despite the foreign troops, Kim Jong-il has privately stated his acceptance of U. S. troops on the peninsula, even after a possible reunification.^[19] If North Korea and U. S. normalize relations, both Koreas would wish to maintain the presence of U.S. troops out of fear of China and Japan (see North Korea-United States relations).^[19]

North Korea has long maintained close relations with the People's Republic of China and Russia. 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 southeast Asian allies in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.^[20]

As a result of the North Korean nuclear weapons program, the Six-party talks have been established to find a peaceful solution for the growing unrest between the two Koreas, the Russian Federation, the People's Republic of China, Japan, and the United States.

[edit] Military

Main article: Korean People's Army

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 U.S. Department of State, 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.^[21] North Korea has the highest percentage of military personnel per capita of any nation in the world, with approximately 40 enlisted soldiers per 1,000 citizens.^[22] Annual military spending is estimated as high as US$5 Billion (20% of GDP), compared with South Korea's $24 Billion (2.7% of GDP).^[2] Military strategy is designed for insertion and sabotage behind enemy lines in wartime,^[21] with much of the KPA's forces deployed along the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone.

[edit] Nuclear weapons program

Main article: North Korea and weapons of mass destruction

On October 9, 2006, North Korea conducted its first nuclear test.^[23] The blast was smaller than expected and U.S. officials suggested that it may have been an unsuccessful test or a partially successful fizzle.^[24] 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.^[25] 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.^[26]

On March 17, 2007, North Korea told delegates at international nuclear talks it would begin shut down preparations for its main nuclear facility. This was later confirmed on July 14 as IAEA inspectors observed the initial shutdown phases of the Yongbyon nuclear reactor despite there being no official timeline declared. In return, the reclusive nation has received 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil shipped from South Korea. Once the nuclear reactor is permanently shut down, North Korea will receive the equivalent of 950,000 tons of fuel oil when the six-nation talks reconvene in September 2007.

[edit] Geography

Main article: Geography of North Korea

See also: Korean Peninsula

North Korea is on the northern portion of the Korean Peninsula, covering an area of 120,540 km² (46,528 mi²). North Korea shares land borders with China and Russia to the north, and borders South Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone. 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 is Baekdu Mountain at 2,744 meters (9,003 feet), and major rivers include the Tumen River and the Yalu River.^[27]

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.^[28]

North Korea's capital and largest city is Pyongyang; other major cities include Kaesong in the south, Sinuiju in the northwest, Wonsan and Hamhung in the east and Chongjin in the northeast.

[edit] Economy

Main article: Economy of North Korea

See also: Communications in North Korea, Transportation in North Korea, and Tourism in North Korea

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 US$5 billion out of a gross domestic product (GDP) of $20.9 billion on the military, compared with South Korea's $24 billion out of a GDP of $942.98 billion.^[29]

[edit] 1990s famine

Main article: North Korean 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 Eastern 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. ^[30] The North Korean 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."^[31] The deaths were most likely caused by famine-related illnesses such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and diarrhea rather than starvation.^[31]

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 percent of children were severely malnourished; 37 percent were chronically malnourished; 23.4 percent 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.^[32]

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 after year from 350,000 tons in 2001 to 40,000 in 2004.^[33] 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 its collapse in the mid-1990s." Agricultural production had increased from about 2.7 million metric tons in 1997 to 4.2 million metric tons in 2004.^[34]

[edit] Foreign commerce

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.^[34] In 2005, China and South Korea combined to provide 1 million tons of food aid, each contributing half.^[35] 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.^[36]

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".^[37] 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.^[38]

In July 2002, North Korea started experimenting with capitalism in the Kaesong Industrial Region.^[39] 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 US$1.02 billion in 2003, and trade with South Korea increasing 12% to $724 million in 2003.^[37] It is reported that the number of mobile phones in Pyongyang rose from only 3,000 in 2002 to approximately 20,000 during 2004.^[40] As of June 2004, however, mobile phones became forbidden again.^[41] 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 and Pyongyang, 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.^[42]

[edit] Demographics

Main article: Demographics of North Korea

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.

[edit] Religion

Main article: Religion in North Korea

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.^[43] In practical terms all religion in North Korea is superseded by a cult of personality devoted to the rulers Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il.

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.^[44][45] Official government statistics report that there are 10,000 Protestants and 4,000 Roman Catholics in North Korea.^[46]

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.^[47] Human rights groups such as Amnesty International also have expressed concerns about religious persecution in North Korea.^[48]

[edit] 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 Romanization differs in the two countries, with North Korea using a slightly modified McCune-Reischauer system, and the South using the Revised Romanization of Korean.

[edit] Culture

Main articles: Culture of Korea and Contemporary culture of North Korea

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.

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. Attendees to this event report that the anti-West sentiments have been toned down compared to previous performances. 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.

Culture is officially protected by the North Korean government. Large 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.

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.^[49] In addition, the Japanese altered or destroyed various Korean monuments including Gyeongbok Palace 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.

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

[edit] Administrative divisions

Main articles: Administrative divisions of North Korea and Cities of North Korea

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):

* Sometimes rendered "Yanggang" (양강도).

[edit] Major cities