Portal:North Korea - Wikipedia
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Introduction
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), 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. 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. The Korean War began when North Korean forces invaded South Korea in 1950. 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.
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" 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. (Full article...)
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The flag of the Workers' Party of Korea
The 6th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) was held in the February 8 House of Culture in Pyongyang, North Korea, from 10 to 14 October 1980. The congress is the highest organ of the party, and is stipulated to be held every four years. 3,062 delegates represented the party's membership; 117 foreign delegates attended the congress, without the right to speak. The congress saw the reappointment of Kim Il Sung as WPK General Secretary and the Presidium of the Politburo established as the highest organ of the party between congresses.
At this congress, Kim Il Sung designated his son Kim Jong Il as his successor. The move was criticized by the South Korean media and ruling communist parties of the Eastern Bloc because it was considered nepotist. The congress also saw the WPK and North Korea move away from orthodox communism by emphasizing the Juche idea over Marxism–Leninism, giving the party a nationalistic bent. The next party congress was not convened until 2016, despite party rules stipulating that a congress had to be held every fifth year. (Full article...)
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North Korea in the news
- 16 September 2024 –
- North Korea announces that it will revise its constitution on October 7, with changes including the designation of South Korea as a separate country and its primary enemy. This comes after North Korea announced that it would no longer pursue peaceful Korean reunification. (NHK World Japan)
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Juche Tower, symbol of the Juche idea
Did you know (auto-generated)
- ... that a commercial for HeadOn drew comparisons to Maoist posters, North Korean propaganda, and Hillary Clinton?
- ... that in the Russian Far East, there is a population of North Koreans in Kamchatka that now aligns itself with South Korea?
- ... that South Korea has a day to celebrate North Koreans?
- ... that an abandoned building in Cheorwon, South Korea, used to be the base of operations for the Workers' Party of North Korea?
- ... that Basic Medicine features North Korean propaganda?
- ... that the rapid development of the region of Gangnam in Seoul was spurred by the 1968 North Korean assassination attempt on military dictator Park Chung-hee?
More did you know
- ... that the Yalu River Broken Bridge, which connected China and North Korea, was built by Japan and destroyed by the United States?
- ... that Gambian politician Sirra Wally Ndow-Njie met with North Korean president of the Supreme People's Assembly Kim Yong-nam in 2010?
General images - show another
The following are images from various North Korea-related articles on Wikipedia.
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Okryu-gwan (from Culture of North Korea)
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2012 rehearsal in Pyongyang for Victory Day, marking the end of the war (from History of North Korea)
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Lapel pins from North Korea (from Culture of North Korea)
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At the Pyongyang Embroidery Institute (from Culture of North Korea)
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Kim Il Sung and Zhou Enlai tour Beijing in 1958 (from History of North Korea)
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Portraits of Kim Il-sung and his son and successor Kim Jong Il (from History of North Korea)
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Up-close view of the Juche Tower and the accompanying monument to the Workers' Party of Korea (from History of North Korea)
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North Korean village in the Yalu River delta (from History of North Korea)
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Welcome celebration for the Red Army in Pyongyang on 14 October 1945 (from History of North Korea)
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Pyongyang in 1989 (from History of North Korea)
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A computer lab classroom in the Grand People's Study House, Pyongyang, 2012 (from History of North Korea)
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In August 1948, the 'People's Congress' was held in Haeju, Hwanghae Province. Paek Nam-un, Ho Hon, Pak Hon-yong, Hong Myong-hui (from History of North Korea)
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From left to right: Pak Chang-ok, Li Jishen, Kim Tu-bong, Zhu De, Kim Il Sung, Averky Aristov, Pak Chŏng Ae and Choe Yong-gon in 1955 (from History of North Korea)
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The captured USS Pueblo being visited by tourists in Pyongyang (from History of North Korea)
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Kim Il-sung with Kim Koo in 1948 (from History of North Korea)
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US planes bombing Wonsan, North Korea, 1951 (from History of North Korea)
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The Hamhŭng Grand Theatre, one of the biggest in North Korea, was completed in 1984 in the city of Hamhŭng. (from Culture of North Korea)
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Kim and Moon meet at the DMZ in 2018 (from History of North Korea)
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The incomplete Ryugyong Hotel in 2011. (from Culture of North Korea)
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Web resources
- North Korea at Curlie
- North Korea country study at Library of Congress
- [1] at CIA World Factbook
- DailyNK
- NK News
- Naenara – official web portal of North Korea
- UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the DPRK
- Korean language Wikipedia
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