| Country name | conventional long form: Democratic People's Republic of Korea conventional short form: North Korea local long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk local short form: Choson abbreviation: DPRK etymology: derived from the Chinese name for Goryeo, which was the Korean dynasty that united the peninsula in the 10th century A.D.; the North Korean name "Choson" means "[Land of the] Morning Calm" |
| Government type | dictatorship, single-party state; official state ideology of "Juche" or "national self-reliance" |
| Capital | name: Pyongyang geographic coordinates: 39 01 N, 125 45 E time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) note: on 5 May 2018, North Korea reverted to UTC+9, the same time zone as South Korea etymology: the name translates as "flat land" in Korean |
| Administrative divisions | 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 3 cities (si, singular and plural) provinces: Chagang, Hambuk (North Hamgyong), Hamnam (South Hamgyong), Hwangbuk (North Hwanghae), Hwangnam (South Hwanghae), Kangwon, P'yongbuk (North Pyongan), P'yongnam (South Pyongan), Ryanggang major cities: Nampo, P'yongyang, Rason note: Nampo is sometimes designated as a metropolitan city, P'yongyang as a directly controlled city, and Rason as a city |
| Independence | 15 August 1945 (from Japan) |
| National holiday | Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), 9 September (1948) |
| Constitution | history: previous 1948, 1972; latest adopted 1998 (during KIM Jong Il era) amendments: proposed by the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA); passage requires more than two-thirds majority vote of the total SPA membership; revised several times, last in 2019 |
| Legal system | civil law system based on the Prussian model; system influenced by Japanese traditions and Communist legal theory |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICC |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of North Korea dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: unknown |
| Suffrage | 17 years of age; universal and compulsory |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Supreme People's Assembly President CHOE Ryong Hae (since 11 April 2019); note - functions as the technical head of state and performs related duties, such as receiving ambassadors' credentials head of government: State Affairs Commission Chairman KIM Jong Un (since 17 December 2011); note - functions as the commander-in-chief and chief executive cabinet: Cabinet or Naegak members appointed by the Supreme People's Assembly except the Minister of People's Armed Forces elections/appointments: chief of state and premier indirectly elected by the Supreme People's Assembly; election last held on 10 March 2019 (next election March 2024) election results: KIM Jong In reelected unopposed note: the Korean Workers' Party continues to list deceased leaders KIM Il Sung and KIM Jong Il as Eternal President and Eternal General Secretary respectively |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687 seats; members directly elected by majority vote in 2 rounds if needed to serve 5-year terms); note - the Korean Workers' Party selects all candidates elections: last held on 10 March 2019 (next to be held March 2024) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - KWP 607, KSDP 50, Chondoist Chongu Party 22, General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) 5, religious associations 3; ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected without opposition; composition - men 575, women 112, percent of women 16.3% note: KWP, KSDP, Chondoist Chongu Party, and Chongryon are under the KWP's control; a token number of seats reserved for minor parties |
| Judicial branch | highest courts: Supreme Court or Central Court (consists of one judge and 2 "People's Assessors" or, for some cases, 3 judges) judge selection and term of office: judges elected by the Supreme People's Assembly for 5-year terms subordinate courts: lower provincial courts as determined by the Supreme People's Assembly |
| Political parties and leaders | major parties: Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Jong Un, general secretary] General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) minor parties: Chondoist Chongu Party (under KWP control) Social Democratic Party or KSDP [KIM Yong Dae] (under KWP control) |
| International organization participation | ARF, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IMSO, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: none; North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | embassy: none; the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang represents the US as consular protecting power |
| Flag description | three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in white; on the hoist side of the red band is a white disk with a red five-pointed star; the broad red band symbolizes revolutionary traditions; the narrow white bands stand for purity, strength, and dignity; the blue bands signify sovereignty, peace, and friendship; the red star represents socialism |
| National symbol(s) | red star, chollima (winged horse); national colors: red, white, blue |
| National anthem | name: "Aegukka" (Patriotic Song) lyrics/music: PAK Se Yong/KIM Won Gyun note: adopted 1947; both North Korea's and South Korea's anthems share the same name and have a vaguely similar melody but have different lyrics; the North Korean anthem is also known as "Ach'imun pinnara" (Let Morning Shine) |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
