Background:
Following World War II, Korea was split, with the northern half
coming under Communist domination and the southern portion becoming
Western-oriented. KIM Chong-il has ruled North Korea since his
father and the country's founder, president KIM Il-song, died in
1994. After decades of mismanagement, the North relies heavily on
international food aid to feed its population while continuing to
expend resources to maintain an army of about 1 million. North
Korea's long-range missile development and research into nuclear,
chemical, and biological weapons and massive conventional armed
forces are of major concern to the international community. In
December 2002, North Korea repudiated a 1994 agreement that shut
down its nuclear reactors and expelled UN monitors, further raising
fears it would produce nuclear weapons.