User:Kingofmapps/sandbox

Democratic Republic of Korea 조선민주주의인민공화국 (Korean) Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk (MR)
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: 애국가 Aegukka ("The Patriotic Song")
Capital and largest city	Seoul
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	Pak Thae-song
• SPA Standing Committee Chairman and First 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)
Calling code	+850[9]
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 (DMZ).^[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.

Etymology

See also: Names of Korea

 

The name Korea is derived from Goguryeo, also known as Koryŏ, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.

The modern spelling of Korea first appeared in 1671 in the travel writings of the Dutch East India Company's Hendrick Hamel.^[13]

After the division of the country into North and South Korea, the two sides used different terms to refer to Korea: Chosun or Joseon (조선) in North Korea, and Hanguk (한국) in South Korea. In 1948, North Korea adopted Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Korean: 조선민주주의인민공화국, Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk; listen^ⓘ) as its official name. In the wider world, because its government controls the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, it is commonly called North Korea to distinguish it from South Korea, which is officially called the Republic of Korea in English. Both governments consider themselves to be the legitimate government of the whole of Korea.^[14][15] For this reason, the people do not consider themselves as 'North Koreans' but as Koreans in the same divided country as their compatriots in the South, and foreign visitors are discouraged from using the former term.^[16]

History

Main article: History of North Korea

 

The Four Commanderies of Han, established in the former territory of Gojoseon after the fall of Wiman Joseon.^[17] The ___location of the commanderies has become a controversial topic in Korea in recent years.^[18] However, the ___location of the commanderies is not controversial outside of Korea.^{[note 1]}

According to Korean mythology in 2333 BCE, the Gojoseon Kingdom was established by the god-king Dangun. Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea under the name Unified Silla in 668 AD, Korea was subsequently ruled by the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) and the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). In 1897, King Gojong proclaimed the Korean Empire, which was annexed by the Empire of Japan in 1910.^[19]

From 1910 to the end of World War II in 1945, Korea was under Japanese rule. Most Koreans were peasants engaged in subsistence farming.^[20] In the 1930s, Japan developed mines, hydro-electric dams, steel mills, and manufacturing plants in northern Korea and neighboring Manchuria.^[21] The Korean industrial working class expanded rapidly, and many Koreans went to work in Manchuria.^[22] As a result, 65% of Korea's heavy industry was located in the north, but, due to the rugged terrain, only 37% of its agriculture.^[23]

Northern Korea had little exposure to modern, Western ideas.^[24] One partial exception was the penetration of religion. Since the arrival of missionaries in the late nineteenth century, the northwest of Korea, and Pyongyang in particular, had been a stronghold of Christianity.^[25] As a result, Pyongyang was called the "Jerusalem of the East".^[26]

A Korean guerrilla movement emerged in the mountainous interior and in Manchuria, harassing the Japanese imperial authorities. One of the most prominent guerrilla leaders was the Communist Kim Il Sung.^[27]

Founding

Main article: Division of Korea

 

Kim Il Sung, the founder of North Korea

After the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II in 1945, the Korean Peninsula was divided into two zones along the 38th parallel, with the northern half of the peninsula occupied by the Soviet Union and the southern half by the United States. Negotiations on reunification failed. Soviet general Terenty Shtykov recommended the establishment of the Soviet Civil Administration in October 1945, and supported Kim Il Sung as chairman of the Provisional People's Committee of North Korea, established in February 1946. In September 1946, South Korean citizens rose up against the Allied Military Government. In April 1948, an uprising of the Jeju islanders was violently crushed. The South declared its statehood in May 1948 and two months later the ardent anti-communist Syngman Rhee^[28] became its ruler. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea was established in the North on 9 September 1948. Shtykov served as the first Soviet ambassador, while Kim Il Sung became premier.^{[citation needed]}

Soviet forces withdrew from the North in 1948, and most American forces withdrew from the South in 1949. Ambassador Shtykov suspected Rhee was planning to invade the North and was sympathetic to Kim's goal of Korean unification under socialism. The two successfully lobbied Soviet leader Joseph Stalin to support a quick war against the South, which culminated in the outbreak of the Korean War.^{[29][30][31][32]}

Korean War

Main article: Korean War

See also: Aftermath of the Korean War, Korean Demilitarized Zone, and North Korea–South Korea relations

1. "Korea, North". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 6 December 2023. Archived from the original on 12 August 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
2. Cite error: The named reference unstats08 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
3. "North Korea country profile". BBC News. 17 October 2023. Archived from the original on 7 June 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
4. "Korea North". The World Factbook (2025 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
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6. Cite error: The named reference CIAGDP(PPP)Capita was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
7. "UNData app". data.un.org. Archived from the original on 28 November 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
8. "Decree on Redesignating Pyongyang Time". Naenara. 30 April 2018. Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
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11. McCurry, Justin (16 Jan 2024). "Unification with South Korea no longer possible, says Kim Jong-un". The Guardian. p. 1.
12. "Chapter I. Politics". Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (2019) . 2019 – via Wikisource.
13. Korea原名Corea 美國改的名 (in Chinese). United Daily News. 5 July 2008. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
14. Buzo, Adrian (2002). The Making of Modern Korea. London: Routledge. p. 72. ISBN 978-0-415-23749-9.
15. Cumings, Bruce (2005). Korea's Place in the Sun: A Modern History. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 505–506. ISBN 978-0-393-32702-1.
16. Young, Benjamin R (7 February 2014). "Why is North Korea called the DPRK?". NK News. Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
17. "Early Korea". Archived from the original on 2015-06-25.
18. *매국사학의 몸통들아, 공개토론장으로 나와라!. ngonews. 2015-12-24. Archived from the original on 2016-09-19.
    • 요서 vs 평양… 한무제가 세운 낙랑군 위치 놓고 열띤 토론. Segye Ilbo. 2016-08-21. Archived from the original on 2017-04-13.
    • "갈석산 동쪽 요서도 고조선 땅" vs "고고학 증거와 불일치". The Dong-a Ilbo. 2016-08-22. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
19. Yi, Ki-baek (1984). A New History of Korea. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. pp. 12, 56. ISBN 978-0-674-61576-2.
20. Cumings, Bruce (2005). Korea's Place in the Sun: A Modern History. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. p. 182. ISBN 978-0-393-32702-1.
21. Cumings, Bruce (2005). Korea's Place in the Sun: A Modern History. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 174–175, 407. ISBN 978-0-393-32702-1.
22. Robinson, Michael E (2007). Korea's Twentieth-Century Odyssey. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. pp. 84–86. ISBN 978-0-8248-3174-5.
23. Lone, Stewart; McCormack, Gavan (1993). Korea since 1850. Melbourne: Longman Cheshire. pp. 184–185.
24. Lone, Stewart; McCormack, Gavan (1993). Korea since 1850. Melbourne: Longman Cheshire. p. 175.
25. Robinson, Michael E (2007). Korea's Twentieth-Century Odyssey. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-8248-3174-5.
26. Lankov, Andrei (16 March 2005). "North Korea's missionary position". Asia Times Online. Archived from the original on 18 March 2005. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
27. Robinson, Michael E (2007). Korea's Twentieth-Century Odyssey. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. pp. 85–87, 155. ISBN 978-0-8248-3174-5.
28. "Administrative Population and Divisions Figures (#26)" (PDF). DPRK: The Land of the Morning Calm. Permanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Use. April 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 September 2006. Retrieved 10 October 2006.
29. Lankov, Andrei (25 January 2012). "Terenti Shtykov: the other ruler of nascent N. Korea". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
30. Dowling, Timothy (2011). "Terentii Shtykov". History and the Headlines. ABC-CLIO. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
31. Lankov, Andrei. "North Korea in 1945–48: The Soviet Occupation and the Birth of the State". From Stalin to Kim Il Sung – The Formation of North Korea, 1945–1960. pp. 2–3.
32. Lankov, Andrei (10 April 2013). The Real North Korea: Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia. Oxford University Press. p. 7.

1. 58% agnostic, 15% atheist. North Korea is officially an atheist state.
2. Including Christianity, Islam, and Chinese folk religion.
3. The Supreme Leader of North Korea, who holds the titles of:
   • General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea
   • President of the State Affairs of North Korea
   • Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Force
4. North Koreans use the name Chosŏn (조선, 朝鮮) when referring to North Korea or Korea as a whole. The literal translation of North Korea, Pukchosŏn (북조선, 北朝鮮), is rarely used, although it may be found in sources which predate the Korean War. South Koreans use Bukhan (북한, 北韓) when referring to North Korea, derived from the South Korean name for Korea, Hanguk (한국, 韓國).
5. • Also abbreviated as DPR Korea and Korea, DPR
   • Korean: 조선민주주의인민공화국, Hancha: 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國, MR: Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk
6. North Korea's border with South Korea is a disputed border as both countries claim the entirety of the Korean Peninsula.
7. The constitution of the DPRK, Article 1, states that "The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is an independent socialist State representing the interests of all the Korean people."^[12]

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