Democratic People's Republic of Korea Chosn Minjujui Inmin Konghwaguk1 Flag Emblem Motto:  Powerful and Prosperous Nation Anthem: Aegukka () ("The Patriotic Song") Capital (and largest city) Pyongyang 392N 12545E / 39.033N 125.75E / 39.033; 125.75 Official language(s) Korean Official scripts Chosn'gl Demonym North Korean Korean Government Juche unitary single-party military dictatorship  -  Eternal President Kim Il-sung (deceased)a  -  Supreme Leader23 Kim Jong-il  -  NDC Chairman Kim Jong-il  -  Chairman of the Presidium Kim Yong-namb  -  Premier Choe Yong-rim Legislature Supreme People's Assembly Establishment  -  Independence declared March 1 1919   -  Liberation August 15 1945   -  Formal declaration September 9 1948  Area  -  Total 120540 km2 (98th) 46528 sq mi   -  Water (%) 4.87 Population  -  2009 estimate 240512184 (51st)  -  2008 census 240522315   -  Density 198.3/km2 (55th) 513.8/sq mi GDP (PPP) 20086 estimate  -  Total $40 billion (94th)  -  Per capita $1900 (2009 est.)7 (154th) GDP (nominal) 20097 estimate  -  Total $28.2 billion (88th)  -  Per capita $12448 (139th) Gini (20099) N/A (low)  Currency North Korean won () (KPW) Time zone Korea Standard Time (UTC+9) Date formats yy yyyy mm dd yy yyyy/mm/dd (CE1911 CE) Drives on the right ISO 3166 code KP Internet TLD .kp Calling code 850 a. Died 1994 named "Eternal President" in 1998. b. Kim Yong-nam is the "head of state for foreign affairs".

Coordinates: 4000N 12700E / 40N 127E / 40; 127 The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK; Chosongul: Hancha: ) commonly known as North Korea (i /nr kri/) is a country in East Asia occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea. The Amnok River and the Tumen River form the border between North Korea and the People's Republic of China. A section of the Tumen River in the far northeast is the border with Russia.

The peninsula was governed by the Korean Empire until it was annexed by Japan following the Russo-Japanese War of 1905. It was divided into Soviet and American occupied zones in 1945 following the end of World War II. North Korea refused to participate in a United Nationssupervised election held in the south in 1948 which led to the creation of separate Korean governments for the two occupation zones. Both North and South Korea claimed sovereignty over the Korean Peninsula as a whole which led to the Korean War of 1950. The Armistice Agreement of 1953 ended the fighting; however the two countries are officially still at war against each other as a peace treaty was never signed.10 Both states were accepted into the United Nations in 1991.11

North Korea is a single-party state under a united front led by the Korean Workers' Party (KWP).12131415 The country's government follows the Juche ideology of self-reliance developed by the country's former President Kim Il-sung. After his death Kim Il-sung was declared the country's Eternal President. Juche became the official state ideology when the country adopted a new constitution in 197216 though Kim Il-sung had been using it to form policy since at least as early as 1955.17 After the collapse of the Soviet Union and a series of natural disasters a famine occurred causing the death of 900000 to 2 million people.18 Facing these circumstances leader Kim Jong-Il adopted Songun or a "military-first" policy in order to strengthen the country and its government.19 Although North Korea is officially a socialist republic20 many outside media organizations report that it is a totalitarian Stalinist dictatorship1314212223 with an elaborate cult of personality around the Kim family and one of the worst human rights records of any country.24 North Korea is the world's most militarized nation with a total of 9495000 active reserve and paramilitary personnel.25 It is a nuclear weapons state and has an active space program.26 Because the government is secretive and reluctant to allow in foreigners North Korea is today considered the world's most isolated country and has thus been given the moniker "The Hermit Kingdom" by some.272829 Contents 1 History 1.1 Division of Korea 1.2 Korean War 1.3 Late 20th century 1.4 21st century 2 Geography 2.1 Topography 2.2 Climate 3 Administrative divisions 3.1 Largest cities 4 Culture and arts 5 Government and politics 5.1 Foreign relations 6 Military 7 Economy 7.1 Private commerce 7.2 Tourism 7.3 Famine 8 Media and communications 8.1 Media 8.2 Telephones and Internet 9 Transportation 9.1 Rail transport 9.2 Marine transport 9.3 Air transport 10 Demographics 10.1 Language 10.2 Religion 10.3 Education 10.4 Health care 11 Society 11.1 Human rights 11.2 Personality cult 11.3 Korean reunification 12 Sports 13 See also 14 References 15 Further reading 16 External links 16.1 Images History Main article: History of North Korea See also: History of Korea North Korean war monument in Pyongyang.

In the aftermath of the Japanese occupation of Korea which ended with Japan's defeat in World War II in 1945 Korea was divided at the 38th parallel in accordance with a United Nations arrangement to be administered by the Soviet Union in the north and the United States in the south. The history of North Korea formally begins with the establishment of the Democratic People's Republic in 1948. Division of Korea Main article: Division of Korea

In August 1945 the Soviet Army established a Soviet Civil Authority to rule the northern portion of the Korean Peninsula until a domestic regime friendly to the USSR could be established. This became governed by the Provisional People's Committee for North Korea through 1948. After the Soviet forces' departure in 1948 the main agenda in the following years was unification of Korea until the consolidation of Syngman Rhee regime in the South with American military support and the suppression of the October 1948 insurrection ended hopes that the country could be reunified by way of Communist revolution in the South. In 1949 a military intervention into South Korea was considered by Kim Il-sung but failed to receive support from the Soviet Union which had played a key role in the establishment of the country.30

The withdrawal of most United States forces from the South in June dramatically weakened the Southern regime and encouraged Kim Il-sung to rethink an invasion plan against the South.30 The idea itself was first rejected by Joseph Stalin but with the development of Soviet nuclear weapons Mao Zedong's victory in China and the Chinese indication that it would send troops and other support to North Korea Stalin approved an invasion which led to the Korean War.31 Korean War Main article: Korean War See also: Aftermath of the Korean War Korean Demilitarized Zone and North Korea South Korea relations Korean War Armistice Agreement

After Korea was divided by the UN the two Korean powers both tried to control the whole Korea under their respective governments. This led to escalating border conflicts on the 38th parallel and attempts to negotiate elections for the whole of Korea.32 These attempts ended when the military of North Korea invaded the South on June 25 1950 leading to a full-scale civil war. With endorsement from the United Nations countries allied with the United States intervened on behalf of South Korea. After rapid advances in a South Korean counterattack North-allied Chinese forces intervened on behalf of North Korea shifting the balance of the war. Fighting ended on July 27 1953 with an armistice that approximately restored the original boundaries between North and South Korea. More than 2 million civilians and soldiers were killed in the war.

Although some have referred to the conflict as a civil war other important factors were involved.33 The Korean War was also the first armed confrontation of the Cold War and set the standard for many later conflicts. It created the idea of a proxy war where the two superpowers would fight in another country forcing the people in that country to suffer most of the destruction and death involved in a war between such large nations. The superpowers avoided descending into an all-out war against one another as well as the mutual use of nuclear weapons. It also expanded the Cold War which to that point had mostly been concerned with Europe. A heavily guarded demilitarized zone on the 38th parallel still divides the peninsula and an anti-Communist and anti-North Korea sentiment remains in South Korea.

Since the Armistice in 1953 relations between the North Korean government and South Korea the European Union Canada the United States and Japan have remained tense and hostile incidents occur often.34page needed North and South Korea signed the June 15th North-South Joint Declaration in 2000 in which they promised to seek peaceful reunification.35 On October 4 2007 the leaders of North and South Korea pledged to hold summit talks to officially declare the war over and reaffirmed the principle of mutual non-aggression.36 Late 20th century DPRK soldier pointing to the DMZ Main article: Korean Demilitarized Zone The relative peace between the south and the north was interrupted by border skirmishes and assassination attempts. The North failed in several assassination attempts on South Korean leaders most notably in 1968 1974 and the Rangoon bombing in 1983; tunnels were frequently found under the DMZ and war nearly broke out over the Axe Murder Incident at Panmunjeom in 1976.37 In 1973 extremely secret high-level contacts began to be conducted through the offices of the Red Cross but ended after the Panmunjeom incident with little progress having been made and the idea that the two Koreas would join international organisations separately.38 In the late 1990s with the South having transitioned to liberal democracy the success of the Nordpolitik policy and power in the North having been taken up by Kim Il-sung's son Kim Jong-il the two nations began to engage publicly for the first time with the South declaring its Sunshine Policy.3940 21st century The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (November 2010) See also: Bombardment of Yeonpyeong In 2002 United States president George W. Bush labeled North Korea part of an "axis of evil" and an "outpost of tyranny". The highest-level contact the government has had with the United States was with U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright who made a visit to Pyongyang in 200041 but the two countries do not have formal diplomatic relations.7 By 2006 approximately 37000 American soldiers remained in South Korea although by June 2009 this number had fallen to around 30000.4243 Kim Jong-il has privately stated his acceptance of U.S. troops on the peninsula even after a possible reunification.44 Publicly North Korea strongly demands the removal of American troops from Korea.44 On June 13 2009 the Associated Press reported that in response to new UN sanctions North Korea declared it would progress with its uranium enrichment program. This marked the first time the DPRK has publicly acknowledged that it is conducting a uranium enrichment program.45 In August 2009 former US president Bill Clinton met with Kim Jong-il to secure the release of two US journalists who had been sentenced for entering the country illegally.46 Current U.S. President Barack Obama's position towards North Korea has been to remain calm in the face of North Korea's provocationsneutrality is disputed while resisting making deals with North Korea merely for the sake of defusing tension a policy known as "strategic patience."47 On November 23 2010 North Korea fired about 170 rounds of artillery on Yeonpyeong Island and the surrounding waters near the Yellow Sea border with some 90 shells landing on the island. The attack resulted in the deaths of two marines and two civilians on the South Korean side and fifteen marines and at least three civilians wounded.48 The South fired back 80 shells with unknown effects. North Korean news sources alleged that the North Korean actions described as "a prompt and powerful physical strike" were in response to provocation from South Korea that had held an artillery exercise in the disputed waters south of the island.49 Former US President Jimmy Carter made a call for a peaceful solution of this crisis.50 Geography Main article: Geography of North Korea Lake Ch'nji at Mount Paektu North Korea's highest point North Korea occupies the northern portion of the Korean Peninsula lying between latitudes 37 and 43N and longitudes 124 and 131E. It covers an area of 120540 square kilometres (46541 sq mi). North Korea shares land borders with People's Republic of China and Russia to the north and borders South Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone. To its west are the Yellow Sea and Korea Bay and to its east lies Japan across the Sea of Japan (East Sea of Korea). The highest point in North Korea is Paektu-san Mountain at 2744 metres (9003 ft). The longest river is the Amnok River which flows for 790 kilometres (491 mi).51 The capital and largest city is Pyongyang; other major cities include Kaesong in the south Sinuiju in the northwest Wonsan and Hamhung in the east and Chongjin in the northeast. Topography Topography of North Korea. Further information: Korean Peninsula Early European visitors to Korea remarked that the country resembled "a sea in a heavy gale" because of the many successive mountain ranges that crisscross the peninsula.52 Some 80% of North Korea is composed of mountains and uplands separated by deep and narrow valleys with all of the peninsula's mountains with elevations of 2000 metres (6600 ft) or more located in North Korea. The coastal plains are wide in the west and discontinuous in the east. A great majority of the population lives in the plains and lowlands. The highest point in North Korea is Baekdu Mountain which is a volcanic mountain near the Chinese border with basalt lava plateau with elevations between 1400 and 2000 metres (4600 and 6600 ft) above sea level.52 The Hamgyong Range located in the extreme northeastern part of the peninsula has many high peaks including Gwanmosan at approximately 1756 m (5761 ft). Other major ranges include the Rangrim Mountains which are located in the north-central part of North Korea and run in a north-south direction making communication between the eastern and western parts of the country rather difficult; and the Kangnam Range which runs along the North KoreaChina border. Geumgangsan often written Mt Kumgang or Diamond Mountain (approximately 1638 metres or 5374 ft) in the Taebaek Range which extends into South Korea is famous for its scenic beauty.52 For the most part the plains are small. The most extensive are the Pyongyang and Chaeryong plains each covering about 500 square kilometres (190 sq mi). Because the mountains on the east coast drop abruptly to the sea the plains are even smaller there than on the west coast. Unlike neighboring Japan or northern China North Korea experiences few severe earthquakes. Climate Main article: Climate of North Korea North Korea has a continental climate with four distinct seasons.53 Long winters bring bitter cold and clear weather interspersed with snow storms as a result of northern and northwestern winds that blow from Siberia. Average snowfall is 37 days during the winter. The weather is likely to be particularly harsh in the northern mountainous regions. Summer tends to be short hot humid and rainy because of the southern and southeastern monsoon winds that bring moist air from the Pacific Ocean. Typhoons affect the peninsula on an average of at least once every summer.53 Spring and autumn are transitional seasons marked by mild temperatures and variable winds and bring the most pleasant weather. Natural hazards include late spring droughts which often are followed by severe flooding. There are occasional typhoons during the early fall. North Korea's climate is relatively temperate. Most of the country is classified as type Dwa in the Kppen climate classification scheme with warm summers and cold dry winters. In summer there is a short rainy season called changma.54 On August 7 2007 the most devastating floods in 40 years caused the North Korean government to ask for international help. NGOs such as the Red Cross asked people to raise funds because they feared a humanitarian catastrophe.55 Administrative divisions Main article: Administrative divisions of North Korea See also: Provinces of Korea Special cities of Korea and List of cities in North Korea Principal divisions of North Korea Major North Korean cities. Namea Chosn'gl Hanja Directly governed cities (Chikhalsi)a 1 Pyongyang (National Capital) 2 Rason Special Administrative Regions (T'kpyl Haengjnggu)a 3 Kaesong Industrial Region 4 Kumgangsan Tourist Region 5 Sinuiju Special Administrative Region Provinces (do)a 6 Chagang 7 North Pyongan 8 South Pyongan 9 South Hwanghae 10 North Hwanghae 11 Kangwon 12 South Hamgyong 13 North Hamgyong 14 Ryanggang * * Rendered in Southern dialects as "Yanggang" (). Largest cities view talk view talk Largest cities of North Korea 2008 Census5 Pyongyang Hamhung Rank City Name Administrative division Pop. Chongjin Nampho 1 Pyongyang Pyongyang Directly Governed City 3255288 2 Hamhung South Hamgyong Province 768551 3 Chongjin North Hamgyong Province 667929 4 Nampho South Pyongan Province 366815 5 Wonsan Kangwon Province 363127 6 Sinuiju Sinuiju SAR 359341 7 Tanchon South Hamgyong Province 345875 8 Kaechon South Pyongan Province 319554 9 Kaesong North Hwanghae Province 308440 10 Sariwon North Hwanghae Province 307764 Culture and arts Main articles: Culture of North Korea Culture of Korea and National Treasures of North Korea Scene from the Mass Games North Korean artists making embroidered cloth A drawing in one of the chambers of the Goguryeo tombs. North Korea shares its traditional culture with South Korea but the two Koreas have developed distinct contemporary forms of culture since the peninsula was divided in 1945. Historically while the culture of Korea has been influenced by that of neighbouring China it has nevertheless managed to develop a unique and distinct cultural identity from its larger neighbour.56 Literature and arts in North Korea are state-controlled mostly through the Propaganda and Agitation Department or the Culture and Arts Department of the Central Committee of the KWP.57 Korean culture came under attack during the Japanese rule from 1910 to 1945. Japan enforced a cultural assimilation policy. During the Japanese rule Koreans were encouraged to learn and speak Japanese adopt the Japanese family name system and Shinto religion and were forbidden to write or speak the Korean language in schools businesses or public places.58 In addition the Japanese altered or destroyed various Korean monuments including Gyeongbok Palace and documents which portrayed the Japanese in a negative light were revised. In July 2004 the Complex of Goguryeo Tombs became the first site in the country to be included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. In February 2008 The New York Philharmonic Orchestra became the first US orchestra to perform in North Korea59 albeit for a handpicked "invited audience."60 The concert was broadcast on national television.61 The American Christian band Casting Crowns were previously invited to perform at the annual Spring Friendship Arts Festival in April 2007 held in Pyongyang.62 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 100000 performers. Attendees to this event in recent years report that the anti-West sentiments have been toned down compared to previous performances. The Mass Games involve performances of dance gymnastics 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 Rungrado May Day Stadium which is the largest stadium in the world with a capacity of 150000 people. North Korea employs artists to produce art for export at the Mansudae Art Studio in Pyongyang. Over 1000 artists are employed. Products include water colors ink drawings posters mosaics and embroidery. Socialist realism is the approved style with North Korea being portrayed as prosperous and progressive and its citizens as happy and enthusiastic. Traditional Korean designs and themes are present most often in the embroidery. The artistic and technical quality of the works produced is very high but other than a few wealthy South Korean collectors there is a limited market due to public taste and reluctance of states and collectors to financially support the regime.63 Government and politics Main articles: Government of North Korea and Politics of North Korea The Juche Tower ('Tower of Juche Idea'). North Korea is a self-described Juche (self-reliant) state64 described by some observers as a "hereditary dictatorship"65 with a pronounced cult of personality organized around Kim Il-sung (the founder of North Korea and the country's only president) and his son and heir Kim Jong-il. Following Kim Il-sung's death in 1994 he was not replaced but instead received the designation of "Eternal President" and was entombed in the vast Kumsusan Memorial Palace in central Pyongyang.66 Although the office of the President is ceremonially held by the deceased Kim Il-sung676869 the de facto head of state is Kim Jong-il who is Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea and General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea. The legislature of North Korea is the Supreme People's Assembly currently led by Chairman Kim Yong-nam. The other senior government figure is Premier Choe Yong-rim. The structure of the government is described in the Constitution of North Korea. It is a single-party state. The governing party is the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland a coalition of the Workers' Party of Korea and two other smaller parties 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. In June 2009 it was reported in South Korean media that intelligence indicates the country's next leader will be Kim Jong-un the youngest of Kim Jong-il's three sons.70dated info Foreign relations Main article: Foreign relations of North Korea Kim Jong-il and Vladimir Putin in 2002. North Korea has long maintained close relations with the People's Republic of China and Russia. The fall of communism in eastern Europe in 1989 and the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 resulted in a devastating 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 southeast Asian allies in Vietnam and Laos as well as with Cambodia.71 North Korea has started installing a concrete and barbed wire fence on its northern border in response to China's wish to curb refugees fleeing from North Korea. Previously the border between China and North Korea had only been lightly patrolled.72 As a result of the North Korean nuclear weapons program the Six-party talks were established to find a peaceful solution to the growing tension between the two Korean governments the Russian Federation the People's Republic of China Japan and the United States. On July 17 2007 United Nations inspectors verified the shutdown of five North Korean nuclear facilities according to the February 2007 agreement.73 On October 4 2007 South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il signed an 8-point peace agreement on issues of permanent peace high-level talks economic cooperation renewal of train highway and air travel and a joint Olympic cheering squad.36 The United States and South Korea previously designated the North as a state sponsor of terrorism.74 The 1983 bombing that killed members of the South Korean government and the destruction of a South Korean airliner have been attributed to North Korea.75 North Korea has also admitted responsibility for the kidnapping of 13 Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s five of whom were returned to Japan in 2002.76 On October 11 2008 the United States removed North Korea from its list of states that sponsor terrorism.77 In 2009 relationships between North and South Korea increased in intensity; North Korea had been reported to have deployed missiles78 ended its former agreements with South Korea79 and threatened South Korea and the United States not to interfere with a satellite launch it had planned.80 North and South Korea are still technically at war (having never signed a peace treaty after the Korean War) and share the worlds most heavily fortified border.81 On May 27 2009 North Korean media declared that the Korean Armistice was no longer valid due to the South Korean government's pledge to "definitely join" the Proliferation Security Initiative.citation needed To further complicate and intensify strains between the two nations the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in March 2010 killing 46 seamen is as of May 20 2010 claimed by a multi-national research team82 to have been caused by a North Korean torpedo which the North denies. South Korea agreed with the findings from the research group and President Lee Myung-bak declared in May 2010 that Seoul would cut all trade with North Korea as part of measures primarily aimed at striking back at North Korea diplomatically and financially.83 As a result of this North Korea severed all ties completely abrogated the previous pact of non aggression and expelled all South Koreans from a joint industrial zone in Kaesong.84 On November 23 2010 North Korea attacked Yeonpyeong Island further deteriorating the diplomatic relations with the South and other nations.85 Most of the foreign embassies connecting with diplomatic ties to North Korea are situated in Beijing rather than Pyongyang.86 Military Main article: Korean People's Army See also: North Korea and weapons of mass destruction and Songun Korean People's Army soldiers observing the South Korean side of the DMZ The Korean People's Army (KPA) is the name for the collective armed personnel of the North Korean military. It has five branches: Ground Force Naval Force Air Force Special Operations Force and Rocket Force. According to the U.S. Department of State North Korea has the fourth-largest army in the world at an estimated 1.21 million armed personnel with about 20% of men aged 1754 in the regular armed forces.87 North Korea has the highest percentage of military personnel per capita of any nation in the world with approximately one enlisted soldier for every 25 citizens.88 Koksan one of North Korea's principal heavy artillery pieces. This example was captured in Iraq. Military strategy is designed for insertion of agents and sabotage behind enemy lines in wartime87 with much of the KPA's forces deployed along the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone. The Korean People's Army operates a very large amount of equipment including 4060 tanks 2500 APCs 17900 artillery pieces 11000 air defence guns and some 10000 MANPADS and anti-tank guided missiles89 in the Ground force; at least 915 vessels in the Navy and 1748 aircraft in the Air Force90 of which 478 are fighters and 180 are bombers.91 The equipment is a mixture of World War II vintage vehicles and small arms widely proliferated Cold War technology and more modern Soviet or locally produced weapons. In line with its asymmetric warfare strategy North Korea has also developed a wide range of unconventional techniques and equipment such as GPS jammers92 stealth paint93 midget submarines and human torpedoes94 a vast array of chemical and biological weapons95 and anti-personnel lasers.96 According to official North Korean media military expenditures for 2010 amount to 15.8% of the state budget.97 North Korea has active nuclear and ballistic missile weapons programs and has been subject to United Nations Security Council resolutions 1695 of July 2006 1718 of October 2006 and 1874 of June 2009 for carrying out both missile and nuclear tests. North Korea probably has fissile material for up to nine nuclear weapons98 and has the capability to deploy nuclear warheads on intermediate-range ballistic missiles.99 Economy Main article: Economy of North Korea An image of the Korean Peninsula at night rendered from DMSP observations. The disparity in illumination levels is an indication of the difference in population and energy between the North and South.100101 North Korea has an industrialised near-autarkic highly centralized command economy. Of the five remaining Communist states in the world North Korea is one of only two (along with Cuba) with an almost entirely government-planned state-owned economy. The Central Planning Committee prepares supervises and implements economic plans while a General Bureau of Provincial Industry in each region is responsible for the management of local manufacturing facilities production resource allocation and sales.102 North Korea's isolation policy means that international trade is highly restricted. North Korea passed a law in 1984 allowing for foreign investment through joint ventures103 but failed to attract any significant investment. In 1991 it established the Rason Economic Special Zone104 in an attempt to attract foreign investment from China and Russia. Chinese and Russian companies have purchased rights to use the ports at Rason. Chinese investors are renovating a road from Rason to China105 and Russian railway workers are renovating the railway from Rason to Russia from where it continues onto the Trans-Siberian Railway.106 Until 1998 the United Nations published HDI and GDP per capita figures for North Korea which stood at a medium level of human development at 0.766 (ranked 75th) and a GDP per capita of $4058.107 The average salary is about $47 per month.108 Despite substantial economic problems quality of life is improving and wages are rising steadily.109 Small-scale private markets known as janmadang exist throughout the country and provide the population with imported food and commodities ranging from cosmetics to motorcycles in exchange for money.110111 In 2009 the government carried out a currency redenomination with the aim to curb free market activity across the country but the attempt failed causing inflation rates to skyrocket and eventually led to the lifting of the ban on free market trade.112 Food rations housing healthcare and education are offered from the state for free113 and the payment of taxes has been abolished since April 1 1974.114 In order to increase productivity from agriculture and industry since the 1960s the North Korean government has introduced a number of management systems such as the Taean work system.115 In the 21st century North Korea's GDP growth has been slow but steady although in recent years growth has gradually accelerated to 3.7% in 2008 the fastest pace in almost a decade largely due to a sharp growth of 8.2% in the agricultural sector.116 GDP Growth by year116117 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 1.3% 3.7% 1.2% 1.8% 2.2% 1.0% 1.6% 1.8% 3.7% 3.7% Hungju collective chicken farm Chagang province. Based on estimates in 2002 the dominant sector in the North Korean economy is industry (43.1%) followed by services (33.6%) and agriculture (23.3%). In 2004 it was estimated that agriculture employed 37% of the workforce while industry and services employed the remaining 63%.7 Major industries include military products machine building electric power chemicals mining metallurgy textiles food processing and tourism. Iron ore and coal production are among the few sectors where North Korea performs significantly better than its southern neighbour - the DPRK produces about 10 times larger amounts of each resource.118 In 2005 North Korea was ranked by the FAO as an estimated 10th in the production of fresh fruit119 and as an estimated 19th in the production of apples.120 It has substantial natural resources and is the world's 18th largest producer of iron and zinc121122 having the 22nd largest coal reserves in the world.123 It is also the 15th largest fluorite producer124 and 12th largest producer of copper and salt in Asia.125126 Other major natural resources in production include lead tungsten graphite magnesite gold pyrites fluorspar and hydropower.7 Private commerce Generic paracetamol tablets made in the DPRK by a joint venture company A FamilyMart store in Kaesong Industrial Region North Korea's light industry center. In 1991 North Korea started experimenting with private capitalism in the Rajin-Sonbong Economic Special Zone and in 2002 also set up the Kaesong Industrial Region.127 A small number of other areas have been designated as Special Administrative Regions. China and South Korea are the biggest trade partners of North Korea with trade with China increasing 15% to US$1.6 billion in 2005 and trade with South Korea increasing 50% to over 1 billion for the first time in 2005.128 China is North Korea's closest economic partner with 73% of North Korea's foreign trade being conducted with this country.129 In 2000 Centre for the Study of the Capitalist System was established.130 Increasingly more foreign-invested joint ventures have been set up since 2002.131 The Pyongyang Business School was established by the Swiss government to help teach students business management.132 A small number 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 and Pyongyang as well as along the China-North Korea border bypassing the food rationing system. In addition to food aid China reportedly provides an estimated 80 to 90 percent of North Korea's oil imports at "friendly prices" that are sharply lower than the world market price.133 North Korea also has a cartoon animation industry sub-contracting work from South Korean animation studios.134 Tourism Main article: Tourism in North Korea The Kmgangsan Tourist Region was popular among South Korean tourists until its suspension in 2008 Tourism in North Korea is organized by the state owned Korea International Travel Company. Every group of travelers as well as individual tourists/visitors is permanently accompanied by one or two "guides" who normally speak the mother language of the tourist. While tourism has increased over the last few years tourists from Western countries remain few. The majority of the tourists who visit come from China Russia and Japan. Russian citizens from the Asian part of Russia prefer North Korea as a tourist destination due to the relatively low prices lack of pollution and the warmer climate. For citizens of South Korea it is practically impossible to obtain a visa for North Korea; however they can still obtain "entry permits" to special tourist areas designated for South Koreans such as Kaesong. US citizens were also subject to visa restrictions only able to visit during the yearly Arirang Festival. These restrictions were lifted in January 2010 yet currently fewer than 2500 U.S. citizens have visited North Korea since 1953.135 In the area of the Kmgangsan-mountains the company Hyundai established and operates a special Tourist area. Traveling to this area is also possible for South Koreans and US citizens but only in organized groups from South Korea. A special administrative region known as the Kmgangsan Tourist Region exists for this purpose. However trips to the region were suspended after a South Korean woman who wandered into a controlled military zone was shot dead by border guards in late 2008.136 When tours had still not resumed by May 2010 North Korea unilaterally announced that it would seize South Korean real estate assets in the region.137 Famine Main article: North Korean famine In the 1990s North Korea faced significant economic disruptions including a series of natural disasters economic mismanagement and serious resource shortages after the collapse of the Eastern 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.138 The North Korean famine known as "Arduous March" resulted in the deaths of between 300000 and 800000 North Koreans per year during the three year famine peaking in 1997.18 The deaths were most likely caused by famine-related illnesses such as pneumonia tuberculosis and diarrhea rather than starvation.18 In 2006 Amnesty International reported that a national nutrition survey conducted by the North Korean government the World Food Programme and UNICEF found that 7% of children were severely malnourished; 37% were chronically malnourished; 23.4% were underweight; and one in three mothers was malnourished and anaemic as the result of the lingering effect of the famine. The inflation caused by some of the 2002 economic reforms including the Songun or "Military-first" policy was cited for creating the increased price of basic foods.139 The history of Japanese assistance to North Korea has been marked with challenges; from a large pro-Pyongyang community of Koreans in Japan to public outrage over the 1998 North Korean missile launch and revelations regarding the abduction of Japanese citizens.140 In June 1995 an agreement was reached that the two countries would act jointly.140 South Korea would provide 150000 MT of grain in unmarked bags and Japan would provide 150000 MT gratis and another 150000 MT on concessional terms.140 In October 1995 and January 1996 North Korea again approached Japan for assistance. On these two occasions both of which came at crucial moments in the evolution of the famine opposition from both South Korea and domestic political sources quashed the deals.140 Beginning in 1997 the U.S. began shipping food aid to North Korea through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to combat the famine. Shipments peaked in 1999 at nearly 700000 tons making the U.S. the largest foreign aid donor to the country at the time. Under the Bush Administration aid was drastically reduced year after year from 350000 tons in 2001 to 40000 in 2004.141 The Bush Administration took criticism for using "food as a weapon" during talks over the North's nuclear weapons program but insisted the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) criteria were the same for all countries and the situation in North Korea had "improved significantly since its collapse in the mid-1990s." Agricultural production had increased from about 2.7 million metric tons in 1997 to 4.2 million metric tons in 2004.142 Media and communications Main articles: Media of North Korea and Telecommunications in North Korea Media North Korean media is under one of the strictest government control in the world. The North Korean constitution provides for freedom of speech and the press; however the government prohibits the exercise of these rights in practice. In its 2010 report Reporters Without Borders ranked the freedom of the press in North Korea as 177th out of 178 above only that of Eritrea.143 Only news that favors the regime is permitted while news that covers the economic and political problems in the country or criticisms of the regime from abroad is not allowed.144 The media upholds the personality cult of Kim Jong-il regularly reporting on his daily activities. The main news provider to media in the DPRK is the Korean Central News Agency. North Korea has 12 principal newspapers and 20 major periodicals all of varying periodicity and all published in Pyongyang.145 Newspapers include the Rodong Sinmun Joson Inmingun Minju Choson and Rodongja Sinmum. No private press exists.146 Telephones and Internet North Korea has an adequate telephone system with 1.18 million fixed lines available in 2008.147 However most phones are only installed for senior government officials. If one wants a phone installed they would need to fill out a form indicating their rank why they want a phone and how they will pay for it. 148 The number of mobile phones in Pyongyang rose from only 3000 in 2002 to approximately 20000 during 2004.149 As of June 2004 however mobile phones became forbidden again150 until a new 3G network Koryolink was built in 2008 through a joint venture with Orascom Telecom Holding of Egypt. In May 2010 over 120000 North Koreans owned a mobile phone151 and by September the same year the number of subscribers increased more than twice reaching 301000 people.152 North Korea's first Internet caf opened in 2002 as a joint venture with South Korean internet company Hoonnet. Ordinary North Koreans do not have access to the global Internet network but are provided with a nationwide public use Intranet service called Kwangmyong which features domestic news an e-mail service and censored information from foreign websites (mostly scientific).153 Transportation Main articles: Communications in North Korea and Transportation in North Korea This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2009) Puhng station of the Pyongyang Metro. Two of the few ways to enter North Korea are over the Sino-Korea Friendship Bridge or via Panmunjeom the former crossing the Amnok River and the latter crossing the Demilitarized Zone. Private cars in North Korea are a rare sight but as of 2008update some 70% of households used bicycles which also play an increasingly important role in small-scale private trade.154 Very few cars and light trucks are made in a joint-venture between Pyeonghwa Motors of South Korea and the North Korean Ryonbong General Corp at a facility in Nampo North Korea.155 Another local producer of vehicles is Sungri Motor Plant which manufactures civilian vehicles and heavy trucks. There is a mix of locally built and imported trolleybuses and trams in urban centers in North Korea. Earlier fleets were obtained in Europe and China but the trade embargo has forced North Korea to build their own vehicles. Rail transport Choson Cul Minzuzui Inmingonghoagug is the only rail operator in North Korea. It has a network of 5200 km (3200 mi) of track with 4500 km (2800 mi) in standard gauge.156 There is a small narrow gauge railway in operation in Haeju peninsula.156 The railway fleet consists of a mix of electric and steam locomotives. Cars are mostly made in North Korea using Soviet designs. There are some locomotives from Imperial Japan the United States and Europe remaining in use. Second-hand Chinese locomotives (early DF4Bs BJ Hydraulics etc.) have also been spotted in active service. People traveling from the capital Pyongyang to other regions in North Korea typically travel by rail. But in order to travel out of Pyongyang people need an official travel certificate ID and a purchased ticket in advance. Due to lack of maintenance on the infrastructure and vehicles the travel time by rail is increasing. It has been reported that the 120 mile (193 km) trip from Pyongyang to Kaesong can take up to 6 hours.157 Marine transport A North Korean cargo ship off the coast of Somalia Water transport on the major rivers and along the coasts plays a growing role in freight and passenger traffic. Except for the Yalu and Taedong rivers most of the inland waterways totaling 2253 kilometres (1400 mi) are navigable only by small boats. Coastal traffic is heaviest on the eastern seaboard whose deeper waters can accommodate larger vessels. The major ports are Nampho on the west coast and Rajin Chongjin Wonsan and Hamhung on the east coast. The country's harbor loading capacity in the 1990s was estimated at almost 35 million tons a year. In the early 1990s North Korea possessed an oceangoing merchant fleet largely domestically produced of sixty-eight ships (of at least 1000 gross-registered tons) totaling 465801 gross-registered tons (709442 metric tons deadweight (DWT)) which includes fifty-eight cargo ships and two tankers. There is a continuing investment in upgrading and expanding port facilities developing transportationparticularly on the Taedong Riverand increasing the share of international cargo by domestic vessels. Air transport North Korea's international air connections are limited. There are regularly scheduled flights from the Sunan International Airport 24 kilometres (15 mi) north of Pyongyang to Moscow Khabarovsk Vladivostok Bangkok Beijing Dalian Shanghai Shenyang along with seasonal services to Singapore and charter flights from Sunan to numerous Asian and European destinations including Tokyo and Nagoya. Regular charters to existing scheduled services are operated as per demand. An agreement to initiate a service between Pyongyang and Tokyo was signed in 1990. Internal flights are available between Pyongyang Hamhung Haeju Kaesong Kanggye Kilju Nampo Sinuiju Samjiyon Wonsan and Chongjin. All civil aircraft are operated by Air Koryo: 38 aircraft in 2010 which were purchased from the Soviet Union and Russia. From 1976 to 1978 four Tu-154 jets were added to the 7 of propeller-driven An-24s and 2 Ilyushin Il-18's afterwards adding four long range Ilyushin Il-62M three Ilyushin Il-76MD large cargo aircraft. In 2008 a long range Tupolev Tu-204-300's purchased along with a larger version the Tupolev Tu-204-100B in 2010. Demographics Main article: Demographics of North Korea Population pyramid of North Korea Prefabricated apartments house a large portion of the population. Housing in North Korea is free but cramped as with many other Asian nations.158 North Korea's population of roughly 24 million is one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous in the world with very small numbers of Chinese Japanese Vietnamese South Korean and European expatriate minorities. According to the CIA World Factbook North Korea's life expectancy was 63.8 years in 2009 a figure roughly equivalent to that of Pakistan and Burma and slightly lower than Russia.159 Infant mortality stood at a high level of 51.3 which is 2.5 times higher than that of China 5 times that of Russia 12 times that of South Korea.160 According to the UNICEF "The State of the world's Children 2003" North Korea appears ranked at the 73rd place (with first place having the highest mortality rate) between Guatemala (72nd) and Tuvalu (74th).160161 North Korea's Total fertility rate is relatively low and stood at 2.0 in 2009 comparable to those of the United States and France.162 Language Main article: Korean language North Korea shares the Korean language with South Korea. There are dialect differences within both Koreas but the border between North and South does not represent a major linguistic boundary. While prevalent in the South the adoption of modern terms from foreign languages has been limited in North Korea. Hanja (Chinese characters) are no longer used in North Korea although still occasionally used in South Korea. Both Koreas share the phonetic writing system called Chosongul in the north and Hangul south of the DMZ. The official Romanization differs in the two countries with North Korea using a slightly modified McCune-Reischauer system and the South using the Revised Romanization of Korean. Religion Main article: Religion in North Korea Both Koreas share a Buddhist and Confucian heritage and a recent history of Christian and Cheondoism ("religion of the Heavenly Way") movements. The North Korean constitution states that freedom of religion is permitted.163 According to the Western standards of religion the majority of the North Korean population could be characterized as irreligious. However the cultural influence of such traditional religions as Buddhism and Confucianism still have an effect on North Korean spiritual life.164165166 Nevertheless Buddhists in North Korea reportedly fare better than other religious groups particularly Christians who are said to face persecution by the authorities. Buddhists are given limited funding by the government to promote the religion because Buddhism played an integral role in traditional Korean culture.167 An ancient relief image of the Buddha mount Kumgang According to Human Rights Watch free religious activities no longer exist in North Korea as the government sponsors religious groups only to create an illusion of religious freedom.168 According to Religious Intelligence the situation of religion in North Korea is the following:169 Irreligion: 15460000 (64.3% of population the vast majority of which are adherents of the Juche philosophy) Korean shamanism: 3846000 adherents (16% of population) Cheondoism: 3245000 adherents (13.5% of population) Buddhism: 1082000 adherents (4.5% of population) Christianity: 406000 adherents (1.7% of population) Pyongyang was the center of Christian activity in Korea until 1945. From the late forties 166 priests and other religious figures were killed or kidnapped (disappeared without trace) including Francis Hong Yong-ho bishop of Pyongyang.170 No catholic priest survived the persecution all churches were destroyed and the government never allowed any foreign priest to set up in North Korea. Today four state-sanctioned churches exist which freedom of religion advocates say are showcases for foreigners.171172 Official government statistics report that there are 10000 Protestants and 4000 Roman Catholics in North Korea.173 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.174 Open Doors estimates that 50000 70000 Christians are detained in North Korean prison camps.175 Human rights groups such as Amnesty International also have expressed concerns about religious persecution in North Korea.176 Education Main article: Education in North Korea A young girl in a school in Mangyongdae Education in North Korea is free177 compulsory until the secondary level and is controlled by the government. The state also used to provide school uniforms free of charge until the early 1990s.178 Heuristics is actively applied in order to develop the independence and creativity of students.179 Compulsory education lasts eleven years and encompasses one year of preschool four years of primary education and six years of secondary education. The school curriculum has both academic and political content.180 Primary schools are known as people's schools and children attend them from the age of 6 to 9. Then from age 10 to 16 they attend either a regular secondary school or a special secondary school depending on their specialties. Higher education is not compulsory in North Korea. It is composed of two systems: academic higher education and higher education for continuing education. The academic higher education system includes three kinds of institutions: universities professional schools and technical schools. Graduate schools for master's and doctoral level studies are attached to universities and are for students who want to continue their education. Two notable universities in the DPRK are the Kim Il-sung University and Pyongyang University of Science and Technology both in Pyongyang. The former founded in October 1946 is an elite institution whose enrollment of 16000 full- and part-time students in the early 1990s occupies in the words of one observer the "pinnacle of the North Korean educational and social system."181 North Korea is one of the most literate countries in the world with an average literacy rate of 99%.7 Health care A dental cabinet at one of North Korea's major hospitals Main article: Health Care in North Korea North Korea has a national medical service and health insurance system.182 North Korea spends 3% of its gross domestic product on health care. Beginning in the 1950s the DPRK put great emphasis on healthcare and between 1955 and 1986 the number of hospitals grew from 285 to 2401 and the number of clinics from 1020 to 5644.183 There are hospitals attached to factories and mines. Since 1979 more emphasis has been put on traditional Korean medicine based on treatment with herbs and acupuncture. North Korea's healthcare system has been in a steep decline since the 1990s due to natural disasters economic problems and food and energy shortages. Many hospitals and clinics in North Korea now lack essential medicines equipment running water and electricity.184 Almost 100% of the population has access to water and sanitation but it is not completely potable. Infectious diseases such as tuberculosis malaria and hepatitis B are considered to be endemic to the country.185 Life expectancy in North Korea is 63.8 years occupying the 170th place in the world according to 2009 estimates.159 Among other health problems many North Korean citizens suffer from the after effects of malnutrition caused by famines related to the failure of its food distribution program and "military first" policy. A 1998 United Nations (UN) World Food Program report revealed that 60% of children suffered from malnutrition and 16% were acutely malnourished. As a result those who suffered during the disaster have ongoing health problems. Society Human rights Main article: Human rights in North Korea Sneaker-wearing Korean youth walking in Pyongyang. Multiple international human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accuse North Korea of having one of the worst human rights records of any nation.186 North Koreans have been referred to as "some of the world's most brutalized people" by Human Rights Watch due to the severe restrictions placed on their political and economic freedoms.187 A uniformed civilian man riding a bicycle in Pyongyang. Uniforms such as this one are part of the nationally mandated dress code. North Korean defectors have testified to the existence of prisons and concentration camps188 with an estimated 150000 to 200000 inmates189 (about 0.85% of the population) and have reported torture starvation rape murder medical experimentation forced labour and forced abortions.190 Convicted political prisoners and their families are sent to these camps where they are prohibited from marrying required to grow their own food and cut off from external communication (which was previously allowed).191 The system changed slightly at the end of 1990s when population growth became very low. In many cases where capital punishment was de factocitation needed it was replaced by less severe punishments. Bribery became prevalent throughout the country.192 For example years agospecify just listening to South Korean radio could result in capital punishmentcitation needed. However many North Koreans now illegally wear clothes of South Korean origin listen to Southern music watch South Korean videotapes and even receive Southern broadcasts.193194 Personality cult The North Korean government exercises control over many aspects of the nation's culture and this control is used to perpetuate a cult of personality surrounding Kim Il-sung and to a lesser extent Kim Jong-il. While visiting North Korea in 1979 journalist Bradley Martin noted that nearly all music art and sculpture that he observed glorified "Great Leader" Kim Il-sung whose personality cult was then being extended to his son "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-il.195 There is even widespread belief that Kim Il-sung "created the world" and Kim Jong-il can "control the weather".195 A propaganda poster with Kim Il-sung's official portrait The song "No Motherland Without You" ( ) sung by the North Korean Army Choir was created especially for Kim Jong-il and is one of the most popular tunes in the country. Kim Il-sung is still officially revered as the nation's "Eternal President". Several landmarks in North Korea are named for Kim Il-sung including Kim Il-sung University Kim Il-sung Stadium and Kim Il-sung Square. Defectors have been quoted as saying that North Korean schools deify both father and son.196 Kim Il-sung rejected the notion that he had created a cult around himself and accused those who suggested this of "factionalism".195 Critics maintain this Kim Jong-il personality cult was inherited from his father Kim Il-sung. Kim Jong-il is often the center of attention throughout ordinary life in the DPRK. His birthday is one of the most important public holidays in the country. On his 60th birthday (based on his official date of birth) mass celebrations occurred throughout the country.197 Kim Jong-il's personality cult although significant is not as extensive as his father's. In 2004 some of his official portraits were taken down from public buildings.198 One point of view is that Kim Jong-il's cult of personality is solely out of respect for Kim Il-sung or out of fear of punishment for failure to pay homage.199 Media and government sources from outside of North Korea generally support this view200201202203204 while North Korean government sources say that it is genuine hero worship.205 Korean reunification Main article: Korean reunification 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 NorthSouth Joint Declaration in which both sides made promises to seek out a peaceful reunification.206 The Democratic Federal Republic of Korea is a proposed state first mentioned by then North Korean president Kim Il-sung on October 10 1980 proposing a federation between North and South Korea in which the respective political systems would initially remain.207 Sports Main article: Sport in North Korea North Korea (in red) playing against Brazil in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Perhaps the most well known sporting event in North Korea is the annual Arirang Festival. The main attraction of Arirang is the mass gymnastics display. In football fifteen clubs compete in the DPR Korea League level-one and vie for both the Technical Innovation Contests and the Republic Championship. The national football team Chollima compete in the AFC and are ranked 105 by FIFA as of 26 May 2010. The team competed in the FIFA World Cup in 1966 and 2010. In hockey North Korea has a mens team that is ranked 43rd out of 49208 and competes in Division II. The womens team is ranked 21 out of 34209 and competes in Division II. North Korea has been competing in the Olympics since 1964 and debuted at the summer games in 1972 by taking home five medals including one gold. The IOC Code is PRK. At the Athens Games in 2004 the North and South marched together in the opening and closing ceremonies under the Unification Flag but competed separately. North Korea has medaled in every Olympics they have participated in. The martial art taekwondo originated in Korea. In the 1950s and 60s modern rules were standardised and taekwondo became an official Olympic sport in 2000. Other Korean martial arts include taekkyeon hapkido tang soo do kuk sool won kumdo and subak. 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"Country Reports on Human Rights Practices" US Department of State. 25 February 2004. Retrieved 18 December 2007. Jason LaBouyer "When friends become enemies  Understanding left-wing hostility to the DPRK" Lodestar. May/June 2005: pp. 79. Korea-DPR.com. Retrieved 18 December 2007. ""Naenara"-Korea is One-Leader and Nation-June 15 North-South Joint Declaration". Naenara. Korea Computer Center in DPR Korea. 2000-06-15. http://www.kcckp.net/en/one/nation.php1+joint. Retrieved 2009-07-04.  Kim Il Sung (1980-10-10). "REPORT TO THE SIXTH CONGRESS OF THE WORKERS PARTY OF KOREA ON THE WORK OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE". Songun Politics Study Group (USA). http://www.songunpoliticsstudygroup.org/Oct102008/W-801010.HTM. Retrieved 2009-07-04.  "2010 Men's World Ranking". International Ice Hockey Federation. http://www.iihf.com/de/home-of-hockey/championships/world-ranking/mens-world-ranking/2010-ranking.html. Retrieved 24 October 2010.  "2010 Women's World Ranking". International Ice Hockey Federation. http://www.iihf.com/de/home-of-hockey/championships/world-ranking/womens-world-ranking/2010-ranking.html. Retrieved 24 October 2010.  Further reading Ben Anderson Interview on visit to North Korea Frontline World January 2003 Jasper Becker Rogue Regime: Kim Jong Il and the Looming Threat of North Korea Oxford University Press (2005) hardcover 328 pages ISBN 13: 9780195170443 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 19451947 Princeton University Press 1981 paperback ISBN 0-691-10113-2 Bruce Cumings Origins of the Korean War (Vol. 2): The Roaring of the Cataract 19471950 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 Barbara Demick Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea Granta 2010. ISBN 9781847080141 (& New York Random House 2009) 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: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag. Basic Books 2001. ISBN 0-465-01102-0.  Lee Soon Ok. Eyes of the Tailless Animals: Prison Memoirs of a North Korean Woman. Living Sacrifice Book Co 1999 ISBN 978-0882643359 Hyejin Kim Jia: A Novel of North Korea Cleis Press 2007 ISBN 1573442755 Christian Kracht Eva Munz Lukas Nikol "The Ministry Of Truth: Kim Jong Il's North Korea" Feral House Oct 2007 132 pages 88 color photographs ISBN 978-1932595277 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 Andrei Lankov 'North of the DMZ: Essays on Daily Life in North Korea McFarland & Company (April 24 2007) paperback 358 pages ISBN 978-0786428397 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 Don Oberdorfer. 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 Osmond Andrew High Minnow Press 2004 paperback 216 pages ISBN 978-0953944828 Includes a fictional account of the creation of a new state of New Korea. 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: pp100111 Robert Willoughby North Korea: The Bradt Travel Guide. Globe Pequot 2003. ISBN 1-84162-074-2. Hyun Hee Kim "The Tears of My Soul" William Morrow and Company Inc. 1993 hardcover 183 pages ISBN 0-688-12833-5 Ducruet Cesar et Jo Jin-Cheol (2008) Coastal Cities Port Activities and Logistic Constraints in a Socialist Developing Country: The Case of North Korea Transport Reviews Vol. 28 No. 1 pp. 125: Guy Delisle (2005) "Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea" Drawn and Quarterly 184 pages ISBN 978-1896597898 External links Find more about North Korea on Wikipedia's sister projects: Definitions from Wiktionary Images and media from Commons Learning resources from Wikiversity News stories from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks KCNA Korean Central News Agency the official news agency of the DPRK Daily NK Uncensored news from North Korea The Official Webpage of The Democratic People's Republic of Korea - maintained by the Korean Friendship Association North Korea at the Open Directory Project North Korea entry at The World Factbook Wikimedia Atlas of North Korea North Korea travel guide from Wikitravel Chief of State and Cabinet Members (US CIA) North Korea - 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