North Korea

Democratic People's Republic of Korea 조선민주주의인민공화국 (Korean) Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk (MR)
Flag Emblem
Anthem: 애국가 Aegukka ("The Patriotic Song")
National ideology: Juche
Territory controlled   Territory claimed but not controlled (South Korea)
Capital and largest city	Pyongyang 39°2′N 125°45′E / 39.033°N 125.750°E / 39.033; 125.750
Official languages	Korean (Munhwaŏ)
Official script	Chosŏn'gŭl
Religion (2020)	73% no religion[a] 13% Chondoism 12% Shamanism 1.5% Buddhism 0.5% other[b]
Demonym(s)	North Korean Korean
Government	Unitary one-party socialist republic under a totalitarian hereditary dictatorship
• WPK General Secretary and SAC President[c]	Kim Jong Un
• Premier	Kim Tok-hun
• SPA Standing Committee Chairman and SAC Vice President	Choe Ryong-hae
• SPA Chairman	Pak In-chol
Legislature	Supreme People's Assembly
Establishment history
• Gojoseon	2333 BC (mythological)
• Three Kingdoms	57 BC
• Balhae and Silla Kingdoms	668
• Goryeo dynasty	918
• Joseon dynasty	17 July 1392
• Korean Empire	12 October 1897
• Japanese annexation	22 August 1910
• Independence from Japan declared	1 March 1919
• Surrender of Japan	2 September 1945
• People's Republic of Korea	6 September 1945
• Soviet administration north of the 38th parallel	3 October 1945
• 1st provisional govt.	8 February 1946
• 2nd provisional govt.	22 February 1947
• DPRK established	9 September 1948
• Current constitution	27 December 1972
Area
• Total	120,538[1] km2 (46,540 sq mi)[2][3] (98th)
• Water (%)	0.11
Population
• 2024 estimate	26,298,666[4] (54th)
• 2008 census	24,052,231
• Density	212/km2 (549.1/sq mi) (45th)
GDP (PPP)	2015 estimate
• Total	$40 billion[5]
• Per capita	$1,800[6]
GDP (nominal)	2019 estimate
• Total	$16 billion[7]
• Per capita	$640
Currency	Korean People's won (₩) (KPW)
Time zone	UTC+9 (Pyongyang Time[8])
Date format	yy, yyyy년 mm월 dd일 yy, yyyy/mm/dd (AD–1911 / AD)
Drives on	right
Calling code	+850[9]
ISO 3166 code	KP
Internet TLD	.kp[10]

North Korea,^[d] officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK),^[e] is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu (Amnok) and Tumen rivers, and South Korea to the south at the Korean Demilitarized Zone.^[f] The country's western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eastern border is defined by the Sea of Japan. North Korea, like its southern counterpart, claims to be the sole legitimate government of the entire peninsula and adjacent islands. Pyongyang is the capital and largest city.

The Korean Peninsula was first inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period. Its first kingdom was noted in Chinese records in the early 7th century BCE. Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea into Silla and Balhae in the late 7th century, Korea was ruled by the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) and the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). The succeeding Korean Empire (1897–1910) was annexed in 1910 into the Empire of Japan. In 1945, after the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II, Korea was divided into two zones along the 38th parallel, with the north occupied by the Soviet Union and the south occupied by the United States. In 1948, separate governments were formed in Korea: the socialist and Soviet-aligned Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north, and the capitalist, Western-aligned Republic of Korea in the south. North Korean invasion of South Korea in 1950 started the Korean War. In 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement brought about a ceasefire and established a demilitarized zone (DMZ), but no formal peace treaty has ever been signed. Post-war North Korea benefited greatly from economic aid and expertise provided by other Eastern Bloc countries. However, Kim Il Sung, North Korea's first leader, promoted his personal philosophy of Juche as the state ideology. Pyongyang's international isolation sharply accelerated from the 1980s onwards as the Cold War came to an end. The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 then brought about a sharp decline to the North Korean economy. From 1994 to 1998, North Korea suffered a famine with the population continuing to suffer from malnutrition. In 2024, the DPRK formally abandoned efforts to peacefully reunify Korea.^[11]

North Korea is a totalitarian dictatorship with a comprehensive cult of personality around the Kim family. Amnesty International considers the country to have the worst human rights record in the world. Officially, North Korea is an "independent socialist state"^[g] which holds democratic elections; however, outside observers have described the elections as unfair, uncompetitive, and pre-determined, in a manner similar to elections in the Soviet Union. The Workers' Party of Korea is the ruling party of North Korea. According to Article 3 of the constitution, Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism is the official ideology of North Korea. The means of production are owned by the state through state-run enterprises and collectivized farms. Most services—such as healthcare, education, housing, and food production—are subsidized or state-funded.

North Korea follows Songun, a "military first" policy which prioritizes the Korean People's Army in state affairs and the allocation of resources. It possesses nuclear weapons. Its active-duty army of 1.28 million soldiers is the fourth-largest in the world. In addition to being a member of the United Nations since 1991, North Korea is also a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, G77, and the ASEAN Regional Forum.

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