Jump to content

North Korea

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by RuleBrittania (talk | contribs) at 18:58, 28 February 2007 (→Foreign relations). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Democratic People's Republic of Korea
조선민주주의인민공화국
朝鮮民主主義人民共和國
Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk a
Anthem: Aegukka
Location of North Korea
Capital
and largest city
P'yŏngyang
Official languagesKorean
GovernmentJuche State

Kim Il-sung (deceased)b
Kim Jong-ilc
Kim Yong-namd
• Premier
Pak Pong-ju
Establishment
• Kojosŏn
2333 BCEf
March 1 1919g
August 15 1945
• Republic
September 9 1948
• Water (%)
4.87
Population
• 2006 estimate
23,113,019e (48th)
• Census
n/a
GDP (PPP)2005 estimate
• Total
$40 billion (85th)
• Per capita
$1,800 (149th)
HDI (2003)n/a
Error: Invalid HDI value (unranked)
CurrencyWŏn (₩) (KPW)
Time zoneUTC+9
not observed
Calling code850
ISO 3166 codeKP
Internet TLDnone (.kp reserved)
a "Administrative Divisions and Population Figures (#26)" (PDF). NORTH KOREA: The Land of the Morning Calm. Permanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Use. 2003-04. Retrieved 2006-10-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
b Died 1994.
c Kim Jong-il is the nation's most prominent leading figure and a government figure head, although he is not the head of state or the head of government; his official title is Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea, a position which he has held since 1994.
d Kim Yong-nam is the "head of state for foreign affairs".
e Source: CIA World Factbook, Korea, North. North Korea itself does not disclose figures.
f Legendary.
g Symbolic.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), commonly known as North Korea, is an East Asian country situated on the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital is Pyongyang. Its northern border is shared mostly with China, although 18.3 km (11.4 miles) is shared with Russia along the Tumen River, in the far northeast 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.

History

Main article: History of North Korea
See also: History of Korea and Division of Korea

In the aftermath of the Japanese occupation of Korea, which ended with Japan's defeat in World War II in 1945, Korea was divided in two along the 38th parallel. The Soviet Union controlled the area to the north of this line and the United States controlled the area to the south. The Korean people were not consulted by either power prior to this division. While virtually all Koreans welcomed liberation from Japanese imperial rule, they objected to the re-imposition of foreign rule over the peninsula. The Soviets and Americans were unable to agree on the implementation of Joint Trusteeship over Korea. This led in 1948 to the establishment of separate governments in the south and then in the north, each claiming to be the legitimate government of all of Korea.[citation needed]

Growing tensions and border skirmishes between the north and south eventually led to a civil war called the Korean War. On June 25, 1950 the (North) Korean People's Army attacked across the 38th Parallel in a move to reunify the peninsula 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 Volunteers signed the Korean War Armistice Agreement.[1] Since that time the Korean Demilitarized Zone (KDZ) has separated the North and South.

File:DRPK Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.jpg
Kim Jong-II (left) with father Kim Il-sung.

North Korea was led by Kim Il-sung from 1948 until his death on July 8, 1994. Toward the end of his life, Kim Il-sung delegated most domestic matters to his son, Kim Jong-il. Three years after his father's death, on October 8, 1997, Kim Jong-il was named General Secretary of the Korean Workers' Party.[2][3] In 1998, the legislature reconfirmed him as Chairman of the National Defence Commission and declared that position as the "highest office of state".[4] International relations generally improved, and there was a historic North-South summit between the two Koreas in June 2000. Relations with the US deteriorated following the election of George W. Bush and the continued stalemate over implementation of the Agreed Framework. In a diplomatic discussion in 2003 North Korea stated that they possessed nuclear weapons and threatened to export them unless the US agrees to one-on-one talks with North Korea. However, tensions with the United States have increased since that time as North Korea reportedly resumed its nuclear weapons program. Following a series of missile tests in July 2006 and a reported nuclear test in October 2006, the United Nations imposed sanctions on North Korea. On October 31, 2006, however, the country agreed to return to six-party talks.

In the aftermath of the Korean War and throughout the 1960s and '70s, the country's economy grew at a significant rate and, until the late 1970s, was considered to be stronger than that in the South. However, under Kim Jong-il's rule in the mid-to-late 1990s, the country's economy declined significantly, and food shortages developed in many areas. According to aid groups, millions of people in rural areas starved to death due to famine, exacerbated by a collapse in the food distribution system and lack of support from former communist-bloc countries.[5] Large numbers of North Koreans illegally entered the People's Republic of China in search of food. The only direct challenge by its people against the North Korean government took place in 1995 in Hamhŭng, a city in the South Hamgyong province. Famine-starved soldiers attempted to march onto the capital, Pyongyang. The revolt was quelled, though, and the unit shortly thereafter disbanded. Hwang Jang-yop, International Secretary of the Korean Workers' Party, defected to South Korea in 1997. The food situation has somewhat improved in recent years, due in part to small-scale market reforms and private ownership.[citation needed]

In August 2006, in response to ongoing military exercises between South Korea and the United States, North Korea declared the armistice that ended the 1950-1953 Korean War "null and void."[6]

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of North Korea

North Korea is officially described as a socialist republic governed according to the ideology of Juche (loosely, "self-reliance"). Kim Il-Sung, the founder of North Korea, was the country's first and only president; in the North Korean constitution he is described as the Eternal President of the Republic: "The DPRK and the entire Korean people will uphold the great leader Comrade Kim Il-sung as the eternal President of the Republic." [2]

The de facto head of state and government is Kim Jong-Il, who is Chairman of the National Defence Commission. The legislature of North Korea is the Supreme People's Assembly, or SPA; the current President of the SPA is Kim Yong Nam. The other senior government leader is the Premier, currently Pak Pong-ju.

North Korea is a single-party state. 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, this is because there are no parties as such, the political representatives act independently for the welfare of their constituents, rather than being influenced by parties or financial backers, as in the United States.

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of North Korea

North Korea's relations with the United States are often regarded as tense and unpredictable. Since the cease fire of the Korean War in 1953, the North Korean government has been at odds with the United States, Japan and South Korea; it is still technically at war with South Korea. Since George W Bush was given power over the United States in one of the most controversial elections to ever take place in an established democracy in 2000, North Korea's relations with the U.S. have greatly deteriorated, and it was called a part of the "axis of evil" and an "outpost of tyranny" by U.S. President George W. Bush stating "States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world. By seeking weapons of mass destruction, these regimes pose a grave and growing danger. They could provide these arms to terrorists, giving them the means to match their hatred. They could attack our allies or attempt to blackmail the United States. In any of these cases, the price of indifference would be catastrophic."

The highest level contact with the American government was Madeleine Albright's 2000 visit to Pyongyang. However, the U.S. and North Korea do not have formal diplomatic relations.[7] As of 2006 approximately 37,000 American soldiers remain in South Korea, with plans to reduce this number to 25,000 by 2008. North Korea considers the U.S. presence aggressive and a means of preventing north/south reconciliation.[8][9][10]

North Korea has maintained close relations with the People's Republic of China and Russian Federation. The fall of communism in eastern Europe in 1989 and the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 resulted in a significant 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 Asian allies in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.[11]

North and South Korea are still technically at war, however there is very little hostility between the citizens of both North and South Korea. South Koreans believe that North Koreans are still Korean, therefore they are family. 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 which both sides made promises to seek out a peaceful reunification.[12]

Australia sometimes has a tense relationship with North Korea, and the media occasionally report on the ability of North Korea's missiles to reach mainland Australia. Despite this, relations are otherwise allegedly good and where applicable, travel in and out of North Korea by Australian citizens is reportedly not difficult [citation needed].

North Korea is a member of several multilateral organizations. It became a member of the United Nations in September 1991. North Korea also belongs to the Food and Agriculture Organization; the International Civil Aviation Organization; the International Postal Union; the UN Conference on Trade and Development; the ITU; the UN Development Programme; the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization; the World Health Organization; the World Intellectual Property Organization; the World Meteorological Organization; the International Maritime Organization; the International Committee of the Red Cross; and the Nonaligned Movement.

Military

Main article: Korean People's Army

According to the US State Department,[13] North Korea has the fourth-largest military in the world, with the largest percentage of citizens enlisted (49.03 active troops per thousand citizens). The North has an estimated 1.08 million armed personnel, compared with about 686,000 South Korean troops (and 3.5 million paramilitary forces). Annual military spending is about $5 billion USD.[14] There is a fairly efficient, albeit technologically obsolete, weapons and munitions industry[citation needed]. North Korea has perhaps the world's second-largest special operations force (roughly 110,000), designed for insertion and sabotage behind enemy lines in wartime[citation needed]. While the North has an adequate fleet of submarines and small vessels, its main surface fleet has a very limited capability[citation needed].

Air force

As of 1992, the North Korean Air Force comprised about 1,620 aircraft and 70,000 personnel, with roughly twice the number of aircraft as the South. Most of its aircraft are obsolete Soviet models and Chinese copies, but it has been modernizing since the 1980s. Aircraft holdings include 190 MiG-21s, thirty MiG-29s, sixty MiG-23s, forty Q-5 Fantans, plus an additional 250 or so of older MiG-19s, MiG-17s and Su-7s. Since the 1980s, the air force has expanded its inventory of helicopters from 40 to 275. This inventory includes Mi-24s, Mi-2s, Mi-4s, and Mi-8s. In 1985, North Korea circumvented U.S. export controls to buy eighty-seven U.S.-manufactured civilian Hughes H-6 model helicopters. North Korea does not manufacture its own aircraft, but it does produce spare parts. The air defense is also equipped with old Soviet SAMs, including many batteries of SA-2s, SA-3s and SA-5s. An assessment by US analysts GlobalSecurity.org is that the air force "has a marginal capability for defending North Korean airspace and a limited ability to conduct air operations against South Korea."[15]

Missiles

It also has a certain quantity of Rodong-1 and 2, Scud, and the long-range Taepodong-1 and 2 missiles, the second of which has a range of up to 6,000 kilometers. It has test-fired each of these missiles more than once, despite the Six-party talks, initiated in 2003. On July 5, 2006, North Korea conducted a series of seven test launches,[16] including short-range Nodong-2 missiles and one long-range intercontinental Taepodong-2 missile.[17] During the July 5, 2006, launches, the Taepodong-2 missile failed within 2 minutes of lift-off and crashed into the ocean. As of October 2006, there are doubts as to the capability of North Korea to deliver any payload the full 6,000 kilometers range claimed for the Taepodong-2.

Nuclear weapons program

Main articles: North Korea and weapons of mass destruction, Six-party talks, and 2006 North Korean nuclear test

Nuclear weapon production and testing

Wikinews has related news:

On October 9 2006, North Korea announced that it had conducted its first nuclear test, which was confirmed by the United States on October 16, 2006.[18] The blast was less than one kiloton, smaller than expected, and U.S. officials initially suggested that it may have been an unsuccessful test or a partially successful fizzle[19] (for yield comparisons, see Nuclear artillery). China was given twenty minutes' notice of the test; it subsequently warned Japan, Russia, and the United States. The seismic strength of the test was reported slightly differently by two agencies; the United States Geological Survey measured it as 4.2 on the Richter scale, while South Korean scientists placed it as 3.58. Both China and the United States reported finding radioactive traces in air samples taken from the region in the week following the test. The Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary has asserted a high degree of certainty that the test was of a nuclear device, but also admitted that their assessment is based upon U.S. intelligence and that Japanese planes had not been able to detect the radiation.

North Korea has in the past stated that it has produced nuclear weapons and according to many intelligence and military officials it has produced, or has the capability to produce, up to six or seven such devices [3].

Nuclear weapons delivery

As of October 2006, there are doubts as to North Korea's capability to deliver a nuclear warhead by any means, either by affixing to a missile or other nuclear weapons delivery system, with the exception of an aircraft, which would be monitored, or other bulk transport like cargo.[20]

Six-party talks

The Six-party talks have been the diplomatic route used to resolve the concern brought about by North Korea's nuclear weapons program. These talks are a series of meetings with six participating states (the People's Republic of China, South Korea, North Korea, the United States of America, the Russian Federation and Japan) and were a result of North Korea withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2003. The aim of these talks is to find a peaceful resolution to the security concerns raised by the North Korean nuclear weapons program.

According to Richard Saccone, an expert on Korea, in April 2006: "After decades of hostile exchanges and months of stalled negotiations about its nuclear weapons, North Korea quietly put forward a positive signal that it is prepared to talk."[21]

North Korea is not a signatory of the Missile Technology Control Regime and states that it has the sovereign right to test its missiles and pursue its weapons program. North Korea's stance on the 2002 Pyongyang Declaration with Japan is that the agreement is now void due to Japan's failure to normalize relations with the regime. US sanctions following the six-party talks are also cited by North Korea as a reason to continue missile tests and other aspects of its weapons program.[22]

North Korea announced on October 3 2006, that it was going to test its first nuclear weapon regardless of the world situation, blaming "hostile US policy" as the reason for the need for such a deterrent. However, it pledged a no-first-strike policy and to nuclear disarmament only when there is worldwide elimination of such nuclear weapons. On October 9 2006, the state claimed to have conducted its first underground nuclear test successfully. The response from the international community was for the most part condemnation. The UN and NATO quickly held meetings to decide how to react to this situation, and North Korea has since stated that any sanctions imposed upon them will be viewed as an 'act of war'. While many analysts continue to stress the importance of China as a principal actor in resolving the nuclear stand-off with North Korea, some have parted with that analysis and suggested China has consistently failed to exercise influence over the regime.[23]

On November 3 2006, North Korea confirmed it would return to six-nation nuclear disarmament talks after a year-long boycott. The chief US envoy stressed that the world needed to see progress at the next round. North Korea apparently came to this decision on the premise that the issue of lifting financial sanctions will be discussed and settled between North Korea and the United States. World leaders welcomed its decision to rejoin the talks, which it had boycotted since November 2005 in protest of US financial sanctions, but the breakthrough was also accompanied by some skepticism.[24]

In February 2007 NewsMax.com reported that North Korea has told other countries involved in the nuclear talks that it could freeze the reactor at its nuclear complex in Yongbyon and accept International Atomic Energy Agency inspections, but only in exchange for energy assistance, a pro-Pyongyang newspaper reported Monday. [25]

Human rights

Main article: Human rights in North Korea

International human rights organizations Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, among others, accuse North Korea of having one of the worst human rights records of any nation, with a severe restriction on political and economic freedoms.[26][27]

North Korean exiles have testified as to the existence of detention camps with an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 inmates, and have reported torture, starvation, rape, murder and forced labour.[4][5] Japanese television aired what it said was footage of a prison camp [6]. In some of the camps, US officials and former inmates say the annual mortality rate approaches 20% to 25% [7](broken link). An estimated two million civilians have been killed by the government. [28] A former prison guard and army intelligence officer said that in one camp, chemical weapons were tested on prisoners in a gas chamber [8]. According to a former prisoner, pregnant women inside the camps are often forced to have abortions or the newborn child is killed [9]. The people of North Korea have also been implicated in terrorist attacks in South Korea,[29] (Wahn Kihl 1983: 106) as well as assassinations of dissidents in nearby states.[30] . The government of North Korea has not replied to any of these accusations, but it refuses to admit independent human rights observers to the state.[citation needed]

Geography

Map of North Korea
Main article: Geography of North Korea
See also: Korean Peninsula

North Korea is on the northern portion of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea shares land borders with China and Russia to the north, and with South Korea to the south. To its west are the Yellow Sea and Korea Bay, and to its east is the Sea of Japan (East Sea of Korea). Japan lies east of the peninsula across the Sea of Japan(East Sea of Korea).

The highest point in Korea is the Paektu-san at 2,744 metres (9,003 ft), and major rivers include the Tumen and the Yalu.[31]

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.[32] North Korea's capital and largest city is P'yŏngyang; other major cities include Kaesŏng in the south, Sinŭiju in the northwest, Wŏnsan and Hamhŭng in the east and Ch'ŏngjin in the northeast.

Economy

A satellite photo of the Korean Peninsula at night illustrates the large differences between North Korea and its southern neighbour as well as a similar contrast between North Korea and China.
Pyongyang metro.
Main article: Economy of North Korea
See also: List of North Korean companies, Communications in North Korea, Transportation in North Korea, and Tourism in North Korea

North Korea's socialist economy has been mostly stagnant since the 1970s. State-owned industry produces nearly all manufactured goods. The government focuses on heavy military industry, with an estimated 13% of the nation's GDP being spent on the military as of 2005. [10] By comparison, neighbouring South Korea spent 2.5% of GDP on its military[11] (in addition to the 30,000 American soldiers stationed there).[33] The government does not release economic data.

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 Soviet 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. [12] The resulting famine killed between 600,000 and 3.5 million people in North Korea during the 1990s. [13] By 1999 foreign aid reduced the number of famine deaths, but North Korea's continuing nuclear program led to a decline in international food and development aid. In the spring of 2005, the World Food Program reported that famine conditions were in imminent danger of returning to North Korea, and the government was reported to have mobilized millions of city-dwellers to help rice farmers.[14] [15] Approximately 92% of 577,000 tons of food aid donated by China in 2005 was to North Korea, making up 49% of the food aid North Korea receives. South Korea was the second biggest donor to North Korea in 2005, contributing 36% on top of China's 49%. In spite of these donations over 22% of the population of North Korea is classified as malnourished and recent evidence suggests serious food shortages continue.[16]

North Korea has previously received international food and fuel aid from China, South Korea, and the United States in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program. In June 2005, the U.S. announced that it would give 50,000 metric tons of food aid to North Korea. [17] The United States gave North Korea 50,000 tons in 2004 and 100,000 tons in 2003. [18] On 19 September 2005, North Korea was promised food and fuel aid (among other things) 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.

In July 2002, North Korea started experimenting with capitalism in the Kaesŏng Industrial Region. [19] 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 $1.02 billion in 2003, and trade with South Korea increasing 12% to $724 million in 2003 [20]. It is reported that the number of mobile phones in P'yŏngyang rose from only 3,000 in 2002 to approximately 20,000 during 2004.[21] As of June 2004, however, mobile phones became forbidden again.[22] 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, P'yŏngyang, as well as along the China-North Korea border, bypassing the food rationing system.

According to the Ministry of Unification of South Korea, the GDP grew by 6.2% in 1999, but only 1.3% in 2000, 3.2% in 2001, 1.2% in 2002 and 1.8% in 2003.[23]

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. [24]

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.

Religion

Main article: Religion in North Korea

North Korea shares with South Korea a Buddhist and Confucianist heritage and recent history of Christian and Chondogyo ("Heavenly Way") movements. 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 [25].

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.[34][35] There are an estimated four thousand Catholics and nine thousand Protestants in North Korea.[36]

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.[37] Human rights groups such as Amnesty International also have expressed concerns about religious persecution in North Korea.[38]

Language

North Korea shares the Korean language with South Korea. There are dialect differences within both parts of Korea, 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. Other small differences have arisen, primarily in the words used for recent innovations[citation needed].

Hanja (Chinese characters) are no longer used in North Korea, although still used in South Korea in various applications. Both Koreas share the Hangul writing system.

The official Romanisation differs in the two countries, with North Korea using the McCune-Reischauer romanisation of Korean, and the South using the Revised Romanization of Korean language.

Culture

Main article: Culture of North Korea
See also: Culture of Korea, Cuisine of Korea, Music of Korea, Public holidays in North Korea, Education in North Korea, and Tourism in 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.[citation needed]

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

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. 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 Grand Theatre.

Restaurants run by the North Korean government have opened in China.[39]

Administrative divisions

Administrative map of North Korea.
Main articles: Subdivisions 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):

Provinces
Province Transliteration Hangul Hanja
Chagang Chagang-do 자강도 慈江道
North Hamgyŏng Hamgyŏng-pukto 함경북도 咸鏡北道
South Hamgyŏng Hamgyŏng-namdo 함경남도 咸鏡南道
North Hwanghae Hwanghae-pukto 황해북도 黃海北道
South Hwanghae Hwanghae-namdo 황해남도 黃海南道
Kangwŏn Kangwŏndo 강원도 江原道
North P'yŏngan P'yŏngan-pukto 평안북도 平安北道
South P'yŏngan P'yŏngan-namdo 평안남도 平安南道
Ryanggang* Ryanggang-do 량강도 兩江道

* Sometimes rendered "Yanggang".

Special regions
Region Transliteration Hangul Hanja
Kaesŏng Industrial Region Kaesŏng Kong-ŏp Chigu 개성공업지구 開城工業地區
Kŭmgangsan Tourist Region Kŭmgangsan Kwangwang Chigu 금강산관광지구 金剛山觀光地區
Sinŭiju Special Administrative Region Sinŭiju T'ŭkpyŏl Haengjŏnggu 신의주특별행정구 新義州特別行政區
Directly-governed cities
City Transliteration Hangul Hanja
P'yŏngyang P'yŏngyang Chikhalsi 평양직할시 平壤直轄市
Rasŏn (Rajin-Sŏnbong) Rasŏn (Rajin-Sŏnbong) Chikhalsi 라선(라진-선봉)직할시 羅先(羅津-先鋒)直轄市
Major cities

Column-generating template families

The templates listed here are not interchangeable. For example, using {{col-float}} with {{col-end}} instead of {{col-float-end}} would leave a <div>...</div> open, potentially harming any subsequent formatting.

Column templates
Type Family
Handles wiki
table code?†
 Responsive/
mobile suited 		Start template Column divider End template
Float "col-float" Yes Yes {{col-float}} {{col-float-break}} {{col-float-end}}
"columns-start" Yes Yes {{columns-start}} {{column}} {{columns-end}}
Columns "div col" Yes Yes {{div col}} – {{div col end}}
"columns-list" No Yes {{columns-list}} (wraps div col) – –
Flexbox "flex columns" No Yes {{flex columns}} – –
Table "col" Yes No {{col-begin}},
{{col-begin-fixed}} or
{{col-begin-small}} 		{{col-break}} or
{{col-2}} .. {{col-5}} 		{{col-end}}

† Can template handle the basic wiki markup {| | || |- |} used to create tables? If not, special templates that produce these elements (such as {{(!}}, {{!}}, {{!!}}, {{!-}}, {{!)}})—or HTML tags (<table>...</table>, <tr>...</tr>, etc.)—need to be used instead.

North Korea in Western culture

North Korea has sometimes protested its portrayal in Western entertainment. For a list of films concerning and often fictionalizing the nation, see List of films set in or about North Korea.

See also

Column-generating template families

The templates listed here are not interchangeable. For example, using {{col-float}} with {{col-end}} instead of {{col-float-end}} would leave a <div>...</div> open, potentially harming any subsequent formatting.

Column templates
Type Family
Handles wiki
table code?†
 Responsive/
mobile suited 		Start template Column divider End template
Float "col-float" Yes Yes {{col-float}} {{col-float-break}} {{col-float-end}}
"columns-start" Yes Yes {{columns-start}} {{column}} {{columns-end}}
Columns "div col" Yes Yes {{div col}} – {{div col end}}
"columns-list" No Yes {{columns-list}} (wraps div col) – –
Flexbox "flex columns" No Yes {{flex columns}} – –
Table "col" Yes No {{col-begin}},
{{col-begin-fixed}} or
{{col-begin-small}} 		{{col-break}} or
{{col-2}} .. {{col-5}} 		{{col-end}}

† Can template handle the basic wiki markup {| | || |- |} used to create tables? If not, special templates that produce these elements (such as {{(!}}, {{!}}, {{!!}}, {{!-}}, {{!)}})—or HTML tags (<table>...</table>, <tr>...</tr>, etc.)—need to be used instead.

Lists

Categories

Notes and references

  1. ^ http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/korea/kwarmagr072753.html
  2. ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2000/eap/726.htm
  3. ^ http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/event/nkorea_nuclear/general_02d.htm
  4. ^ http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2000/eap/726.htm
  5. ^ http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engasa240032004
  6. ^ http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2006/08/23/2003324466
  7. ^ https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/kn.html#Govt
  8. ^ http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-dmz-in-korea.htm
  9. ^ http://www.g2mil.com/korea.htm
  10. ^ www2.vuw.ac.nz/~caplabtb/kpc/Pak_address.doc
  11. ^ http://www1.korea-np.co.jp/pk/165th_issue/2001072510.htm
  12. ^ http://www.kcckp.net/en/one/nation.php?1+joint
  13. ^ http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/currentconflicts/a/koreanmilitary_2.htm
  14. ^ CIA World Factbook
  15. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/dprk/airforce.htm
  16. ^ "U.S. Northern Command confirms 7th missile launch by DPRK". United States Department of Defense. 2006-07-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ "North Korea sparks crisis by launching seven missiles". The Daily Telegraph. 2006-07-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ "US confirms nuclear claim". New York Times. 2006-10-15. Retrieved 2006-10-16.
  19. ^ "US says Test points to N. Korea nuclear blast".
  20. ^ "Q&A: N Korea nuclear stand-off". BBC. 2003-12-09. Retrieved 2006-10-15.
  21. ^ http://www.korea-is-one.org/article.php3?id_article=2468
  22. ^ http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2006/200607/news07/07.htm#1
  23. ^ http://www.heritage.org/Research/AsiaandthePacific/wm1236.cfm
  24. ^ http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3&art_id=qw1162405442221R131
  25. ^ "North Korea Considering Nuclear Concessions". NewsMax.com, Feb.5, 2007.
  26. ^ http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/north_korea/index.do
  27. ^ http://hrw.org/doc?t=asia&c=nkorea
  28. ^ Stéphane Courtois et al., The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression, translation by Jonathan Murphy and Mark Kramer, Harvard University Press, 1999.
  29. ^ http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/apec/publications/Armstrong22.pdf
  30. ^ http://www.emergency.com/korea297.htm
  31. ^ http://www.koreanhistoryproject.org/Jta/Kr/KrGEO0.htm
  32. ^ http://countrystudies.us/north-korea/21.htm
  33. ^ US military figures as of 2005, from [1] (Excel file) Tim Kane Global U.S. Troop Deployment, 1950-2003.)
  34. ^ http://www.nautilus.org/fora/security/0434A_ReligionI.html
  35. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4431321.stm
  36. ^ http://www.asia.msu.edu/eastasia/NorthKorea/religion.html
  37. ^ http://sb.od.org/index.php?supp_page=wwl_top_ten&supp_lang=en
  38. ^ http://web.amnesty.org/web/ar2002.nsf/asa/democratic+people's+republic+of+korea!Open
  39. ^ http://www.korea-is-one.org/article.php3?id_article=2510

Further reading

  • Belke, Thomas J. (1999): Juche, a Christian Study of North Korea's State Religion, Published by Living Sacrifice Book Company, P.O. Box 2273, Bartlesville, OK 74005-2273, U.S.A. ISBN 0882643290
  • Adrian Buzo, The Guerilla Dynasty: Politics and Leadership in North Korea, Westview, 1999. ISBN 0-8133-3659-7.
  • Gordon Cucullu, Separated At Birth: How North Korea Became The Evil Twin, Globe Pequot Press (2004), hardcover, 307 pages, ISBN 1-59228-591-0
  • Bruce Cumings, Korea's Place in the Sun: A Modern History, W.W. Norton & Company, 1998, paperback, 527 pages, ISBN 0-393-31681-5
  • Bruce Cumings, Origins of the Korean War (Vol. 1): Liberation and the Emergence of Separate Regimes 1945-1947, Princeton University Press, 1981, paperback, ISBN 0-691-10113-2
  • Bruce Cumings, Origins of the Korean War (Vol. 2): The Roaring of the Cataract 1947-1950, Cornell University Press, 2004, hardcover, ISBN 89-7696-613-9
  • Bruce Cumings, North Korea: Another Country, New Press, 2004, paperback, ISBN 1-56584-940-X
  • Bruce Cumings, Living Through The Forgotten War: Portrait Of Korea, Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies, 2004, paperback, ISBN 0-9729704-0-1
  • Bruce Cumings, Inventing the Axis of Evil: The Truth About North Korea, Iran, and Syria, New Press, 2006, paperback, ISBN 1-59558-038-7
  • Delisle, Guy, Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea, Drawn & Quarterly Books, 2005, hardcover, 176 pages, ISBN 1-896597-89-0
  • Nick Eberstadt, aka Nicholas Eberstadt, The End of North Korea, American Enterprise Institute Press (1999), hardcover, 191 pages, ISBN 0-8447-4087-X
  • John Feffer, North Korea South Korea: U.S. Policy at a Time of Crisis, Seven Stories Press, 2003, paperback, 197 pages, ISBN 1-58322-603-6
  • Michael Harrold, Comrades and Strangers: Behind the Closed Doors of North Korea, Wiley Publishing, 2004, paperback, 432 pages, ISBN 0-470-86976-3
  • Helen-Louise Hunter, Kim Il-song's North Korea. Praeger, 1999. ISBN 0-275-96296-2.
  • Kang, Chol-Hwan (2001). The Aquariums of Pyongyang. Basic Books, 2001. ISBN 0-465-01102-0.
  • Mitchell B. Lerner, The Pueblo Incident: A Spy Ship and the Failure of American Foreign Policy, University Press of Kansas, 2002, hardcover, 408 pages, ISBN 0-7006-1171-1
  • Bradley Martin, Under The Loving Care Of The Fatherly Leader: North Korea And The Kim Dynasty, St. Martins (October, 2004), hardcover, 868 pages, ISBN 0-312-32221-6
  • Oberdorfer, Don. The two Koreas : a contemporary history. Addison-Wesley, 1997, 472 pages, ISBN 0-201-40927-5
  • Kong Dan Oh, and Ralph C. Hassig, North Korea Through the Looking Glass, The Brookings Institution, 2000, paperback, 216 pages, ISBN 0-8157-6435-9
  • Quinones, Dr. C. Kenneth, and Joseph Tragert, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding North Korea, Alpha Books, 2004, paperback, 448 pages, ISBN 1-59257-169-7
  • Sigal, Leon V., Disarming Strangers: Nuclear Diplomacy with North Korea, Princeton University Press, 199, 336 pages, ISBN 0-691-05797-4
  • Chris Springer, Pyongyang: The Hidden History of the North Korean Capital. Saranda Books, 2003. ISBN 963-00-8104-0.
  • Vladimir, Cyber North Korea, Byakuya Shobo, 2003, paperback, 223 pages, ISBN 4-89367-881-7
  • Norbert Vollertsen, Inside North Korea: Diary of a Mad Place, Encounter Books, 2003, hardcover, 280 pages, ISBN 1-893554-87-2
  • Wahn Kihl, Y. (1983) "North Korea in 1983: Transforming "The Hermit Kingdom"?" Asian Survey, Vol. 24, No. 1: pp100-111
  • Robert Willoughby, North Korea: The Bradt Travel Guide. Globe Pequot, 2003. ISBN 1-84162-074-2.
Miscellaneous
Government
About North Korea
Criticism
Documentaries

Locale

Template:Korea-related topics

Template:Countries and territories of East Asia

Template:Countries bordering the Sea of Japan and/or the Yellow Sea Template:Pacific Ocean

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=North_Korea&oldid=111633469"