Country name:
conventional long form: Democratic People's Republic of Korea
conventional short form: North Korea
local short form: none
local long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk
note: the North Koreans generally use the term "Choson" to refer to
their country
abbreviation: DPRK
Government type:
authoritarian socialist; one-man dictatorship
Capital:
Pyongyang
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 4 special cities* (si,
singular and plural); Chagang-do (Chagang Province), Hamgyong-bukto
(North Hamgyong Province), Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong Province),
Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae Province), Hwanghae-namdo (South
Hwanghae Province), Kaesong-si* (Kaesong City), Kangwon-do (Kangwon
Province), Najin Sonbong-si*, Namp'o-si* (Namp'o City),
P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan Province), P'yongan-namdo (South
P'yongan Province), P'yongyang-si* (Pyongyang City), Yanggang-do
(Yanggang Province)
Independence:
15 August 1945 (from Japan)
National holiday:
Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), 9
September (1948)
Constitution:
adopted 1948, completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in
April 1992 and September 1998
Legal system:
based on German civil law system with Japanese influences and
Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: KIM Chong-il (since NA July 1994); note - on 3
September 2003, KIM Chong-il was reelected Chairman of the National
Defense Commission, a position accorded the nation's "highest
administrative authority"; KIM Yong-nam was reelected President of
the Supreme People's Assembly Presidium and given the responsibility
of representing the state and receiving diplomatic credentials
elections: premier elected by the Supreme People's Assembly;
election last held NA September 1998 (next to be held NA)
election results: HONG Song-nam elected premier; percent of Supreme
People's Assembly vote - NA%
cabinet: Cabinet (Naegak), members, except for the Minister of
People's Armed Forces, are appointed by the Supreme People's Assembly
head of government: Premier PAK Pong-chu (since 3 September 2003);
Vice Premiers KWAK Pom-ki (since 5 September 1998), CHON Sung-hun
(since 3 September 2003), NO Tu-chol (since 3 September 2003)
Legislative branch:
unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687
seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 3 August 2003 (next to be held in August 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
NA; the KWP approves a list of candidates who are elected without
opposition; some seats are held by minor parties
Judicial branch:
Central Court (judges are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly)
Political parties and leaders:
Chondoist Chongu Party [YU Mi-yong, chairwoman]; Social Democratic
Party [KIM Yong-tae, chairman]; major party - Korean Workers' Party
or KWP [KIM Chong-il, general secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ARF (dialogue partner), ESCAP, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS,
IHO, IMO, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none; note - North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New
York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (Swedish Embassy in P'yongyang 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