_#_Political parties and leaders: major party--Korean Workers' Party
(KWP), KIM Il-song, general secretary, and his son, KIM Chong-il,
secretary, Central Committee;
Korean Social Democratic Party, YI Kye-paek, chairman;
Chondoist Chongu Party, CHONG Sin-hyok, chairman
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 17
_#_Elections:
President--last held 24 May 1990 (next to be held 1994);
results--President KIM Il-song was reelected without opposition;
Supreme People's Assembly--last held on 24 May 1990 (next
to be held 1994);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(687 total) the KWP approves a single list of candidates
who are elected without opposition; minor parties hold a few seats
_#_Communists: KWP claims membership of about 3 million
_#_Member of: FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, IFAD, IMF (observer), IMO, IOC,
ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: none
_#_Flag: 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
_*_Economy
_#_Overview: More than 90% of this command economy is socialized;
agricultural land is collectivized; and state-owned industry produces 95%
of manufactured goods. State control of economic affairs is unusually
tight even for a Communist country because of the small size and
homogeneity of the society and the strict one-man rule of Kim. Economic
growth during the period 1984-90 averaged approximately 3%. Abundant
natural resources and hydropower form the basis of industrial
development. Output of the extractive industries includes coal, iron ore,
magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals.
Manufacturing emphasis is centered on heavy industry, with light industry
lagging far behind. Despite the use of high-yielding seed varieties,
expansion of irrigation, and the heavy use of fertilizers, North Korea
has not yet become self-sufficient in food production. Four consecutive
years of poor harvests, coupled with distribution problems, have led to
chronic food shortages. North Korea remains far behind South Korea in
economic development and living standards.
_#_GNP: $29.7 billion, per capita $1,390; real growth rate 2%
(1990 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
_#_Unemployment rate: officially none
_#_Budget: revenues $15.6 billion; expenditures $15.6 billion,
including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
_#_Exports: $1.95 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--minerals, metallurgical products, agricultural
products, manufactures;
partners--USSR, China, Japan, Hong Kong, FRG, Singapore
_#_Imports: $2.85 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--petroleum, machinery and equipment, coking coal,
grain;
partners--USSR, Japan, China, Hong Kong, FRG, Singapore
_#_External debt: $7 billion (1991)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 6,440,000 kW capacity; 40,250 million kWh produced,
1,890 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: machine building, military products, electric power,
chemicals, mining, metallurgy, textiles, food processing
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 25% of GNP and 36% of work force;
principal crops--rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; livestock and
livestock products--cattle, hogs, pork, eggs; not self-sufficient in
grain; fish catch estimated at 1.7 million metric tons in 1987
_#_Economic aid: Communist countries, $1.4 billion a year in the 1980s
_#_Currency: North Korean won (plural--won);
1 North Korean won (Wn) = 100 chon
_#_Exchange rates: North Korean won (Wn) per US$1--2.2 (March 1991),
2.1 (January 1990), 2.3 (December 1989), 2.13 (December 1988), 0.94
(March 1987), NA (1986), NA (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*_Communications
_#_Railroads: 4,535 km total; 3,870 km 1.435-meter standard gauge,
665 km 0.762-meter narrow gauge; 159 km double track;
3,175 km electrified; government owned (1989)
_#_Highways: about 30,000 km (1989); 98.5% gravel, crushed stone, or
earth surface; 1.5% concrete or bituminous
_#_Inland waterways: 2,253 km; mostly navigable by small craft only
_#_Pipelines: crude oil, 37 km
_#_Ports: Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam, Namp'o, Wonsan, Songnim,
Najin, Sonbong
_#_Merchant marine: 68 ships (1,000 GRT and over) totaling 465,801
GRT/709,442 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 1 short-sea passenger,
1 passenger-cargo, 58 cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL)
tanker, 4 bulk, 1 combination bulk
_#_Airports: 55 total, 55 usable (est.); about 30 with
permanent-surface runways; fewer than 5 with runways over 3,659 m; 20
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 30 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: stations--18 AM, no FM, 11 TV; 200,000 TV sets;
3,500,000 radio receivers; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*_Defense Forces
_#_Branches: Korean People's Army (includes of the Army, Navy,
Air Force), Civil Security Forces
_#_Manpower availability: males 15-49, 6,381,859; 3,899,606 fit for
military service; 214,690 reach military age (18) annually
_#_Defense expenditures: $NA, 20-25% of GNP (1991 est.);
note--the officially announced but suspect figure is $1.7 billion,
6% of GNP (1991 est.)
_%_
_@_Korea, South
_*_Geography
_#_Total area: 98,480 km2; land area: 98,190 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly larger than Indiana
_#_Land boundary: 238 km with North Korea
_#_Coastline: 2,413 km
_#_Maritime claims: