North Korea

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North Korea

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Chosun Minchu-chui Inmin Konghwa-guk/Democratic People's Republic of Korea Area 120,538 sq km/46,539 sq mi Capital Pyongyang Language Korean (official) Religion Buddhist (predominant religion), Chondoist, Christian, traditional beliefs Time difference GMT +9 Major holidays 1 January, 16 February, 8 March, 15 April, 9 September, 10 October, 27 December


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Hamhung, Chongjin, Nampo, Wonsan, Sinuiji Physical features wide coastal plain in west rising to mountains cut by deep valleys in interior Airports one international airport and two domestic airports (which foreigners are not allowed to use); total passengers carried: 75,000 (2003 est) Railways total length: 5,214 km/3,240 mi; total passenger journeys: 35 million (1999) Roads total road network: 31,200 km/19,388 mi, of which 6.4% paved (1999)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Kim Jong Il from 1994 Head of government Kim Yong II from 2007 Political system communist Political executive communist Administrative divisions nine provinces and three cities Political parties Korean Workers' Party (KWP), Marxist-Leninist (leads Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland, including Korean Social Democratic Party and Chondoist Chongu Party) Death penalty retained and used for ordinary crimes Armed forces 1,106,000; plus 4,700,000 reservists and paramilitary forces of 189,000 (2006 est) Conscription conscription is selective; 5–12 years (army), 5–10 years (navy), 3–4 years (air force), followed by compulsory part-time service to age 40, then service in the Worker/Peasant Red Guard to age 60 Defence spend (% GDP) 25 (2004 est) Health spend (% GDP) 5.3 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency won GDP (US$) 40 billion (2005) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 1 (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 1,700 (2005 est) Labour force 34% agriculture, 30% industry, 36% services (2003 est) Foreign debt (US$) 7.7 billion (2001 est) Major trading partners China, South Korea, Japan, Russia, Thailand Resources coal, iron, lead, copper, zinc, tin, silver, gold, magnesite (has 40–50% of world's deposits of magnesite) Industries mining, metallurgy, electricity, machine-building, textiles, cement, chemicals, cotton, silk and rayon weaving, foods Exports animal products, textiles, base metals, vegetable products, machinery and electronic goods. Principal market: China 37.3% (2005) Imports petroleum and petroleum products, machinery and equipment, grain, textiles, coal, foodstuffs. Principal source: China 39.8% (2005) Arable land 22.4% (2006 est) Agricultural products rice, maize, sweet potatoes, soybeans; livestock rearing (cattle and pigs); forestry; fishing


POPULATION

Population 22,582,800 (2006 est) Population growth rate 0.4% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 187 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 62 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 25%, 15–59 64%, 60+ 11% (2005 est) Ethnic groups entirely Korean, with the exception of a 50,000 Chinese minority Life expectancy 62 (men); 68 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 55 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 10 Literacy rate 99% (men); 99% (women) (2003 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 29.7 (2004 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 100 (urban); 100 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 4.4 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 154 (2001 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 59 (2001 est)


CHRONOLOGY

2333 BC Legendary founding of Korean state by Tangun dynasty. 1122 BC–4th century AD Period of Chinese Kija dynasty. 668–1000 Peninsula unified by Buddhist Shilla kingdom, with capital at Kyongju. 1392–1910 Period of Chosun, or Yi, dynasty, during which Korea became a vassal of China and Confucianism became the dominant intellectual force. 1910 Korea formally annexed by Japan. 1920s and 1930s Heavy industries developed in the coal-rich north, with Koreans forcibly conscripted as low-paid labourers; suppression of Korean culture led to the development of a resistance movement. 1945 Russian and US troops entered Korea at the end of World War II, forced surrender of Japanese, and divided the country in two at the 38th parallel. Soviet troops occupied North Korea. 1946 Soviet-backed provisional government installed, dominated by Moscow-trained Korean communists, including Kim Il Sung; radical programme of land reform and nationalization launched. 1948 Democratic People's Republic of Korea declared after pro-USA Republic of Korea founded in the south; Soviet troops withdrew. 1950 North Korea invaded South Korea to unite the nation, beginning the Korean War. 1953 Armistice agreed to end the Korean War, which had involved US participation on the side of South Korea, and Chinese on that of North Korea. The war ended in stalemate, at a cost of 2 million lives. 1961 Friendship and mutual assistance treaty signed with China. 1972 New constitution, with executive president, adopted. Talks held with South Korea about possible reunification. 1983 Four South Korean cabinet ministers assassinated in Rangoon, Burma (Myanmar), by North Korean army officers. 1985 Relations improved with Soviet Union. 1990 Diplomatic contacts with South Korea and Japan suggestedthaw in North Korea's relations with rest of world. 1991 North Korea became member of United Nations (UN). Nonaggression agreement with South Korea signed. 1992 Nuclear Safeguards Agreement signed, allowing international inspection of nuclear facilities. Pact also signed with South Korea for mutual inspection of nuclear facilities. 1994 Kim Il Sung died; succeeded by son, Kim Jong Il. Agreement made to halt nuclear-development programme in return for US aid, resulting in easing of 44-year-old US trade embargo. 1996 US aid sought in face of severe famine caused by floods; rice imported from South Korea and food aid provided by the UN. 1997 Kang Song San replaced as prime minister by Hong Song Nam. Grave food shortages revealed. 1998 UN food-aid operation instituted in effort to avert widespread famine. Ballistic missile test fired over Japan. Deceased former leader Kim Il Sung declared ‘president for perpetuity’. Relations with USA deteriorated when USA demanded access to underground site in Kumchangri suspected of being part of nuclear-weapons program. 1999 Japan lifted sanctions, and USA eased sanctions, against North Korea. 2000 North Korea forged diplomatic links with Japan, USA, Italy, and UK. At first summit meeting between Kim Jong Il and Kim Dae Jung of South Korea, two leaders agreed to South Korean economic investment in North Korea, and rail links between the countries. 2002 In worst clash between North and South Korea in three years naval vessels fired on each other in disputed coastal waters in Yellow Sea. Government admitted it had pursued secret nuclear weapons development programme in contravention of 1994 agreement with US government. 2003 687 candidates nominated by Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland for the Supreme People's Assembly, all standing unopposed, reportedly won 100% voter support in 99.9% turnout. North Korea withdrew from Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In first talks on country's nuclear ambitions since start of nuclear crisis, delegations from North Korea, USA, and China met in Beijing. Pyongyang claimed it had reprocessed 8,000 nuclear fuel rods, acquiring enough material to make up to six nuclear bombs 2004 Third round of six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear programme ended inconclusively. North Korea said it would not attend the next round. 2005 Pyongyang claimed its nuclear weapons had been built for self-defence. At conclusion of fourth round of six-nation talks, North Korea agreed to give up nuclear weapons in exchange for aid and security guarantees; later insisted on civilian nuclear reactor. 2006 First high-level talks with Japan since 2003 failed to resolve any key issues, including fate of abducted Japanese citizens. Amid international outrage, North Korea test-fired a long range missile (which crashed shortly after take-off), and a few medium-range ones. North Korea claimed it had conducted its first nuclear weapon test. 2007 Six-nation talks resumed in Beijing; in last-minute deal, Pyongyang agreed to close nuclear reactor in return for fuel aid. For first time in 56 years, passenger trains crossed North–South border. International inspectors visited Yongbyon nuclear site for first time since 2002; verified reactor's shutdown. Appeal for aid made following devastating floods. North and South Korean leaders held summit in Pyongyang; only second such meeting since Korean War. Two leaders agreed to seek to formally end Korean War and expand economic contacts.


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