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North Korea-National Command Authority THE ARMED FORCES
North Korea
Index
![[JPEG]](/images/frd/cs/jpeg.gif)
Major General Kim Yong-chol, vice minister, Ministry of
People's Armed Forces
Courtesy Tracy Woodward
On November 23, 1992, the South Korean government released
the text of the revised North Korean state constitution, which
had been approved, but not made public, by the Ninth Supreme
People's Assembly on April 9, 1992. The document revises the
structure of the national command authority.
The KPA is a creation of both the government and the KWP.
According to Chapter 7, Article 46 of the KWP constitution, "The
Korean People's Army is the revolutionary armed forces of the
Korean Workers' Party." The 1992 state constitution groups
clauses related to national defense into two sections. Those
defining the role and mission of the armed forces are under the
subheading entitled National Defense--Chapter 4, Article 58
through Article 62. The text redefining the relationships between
the president, Supreme People's Assembly, and National Defense
Commission is under the subheading on State Institutions--Chapter
6, Article 111 through Article 114. The duality of the KPA's role
is indicated in Article 59, which states, "The mission of the
Armed Forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is to
defend the interests of the working people, defend the socialist
system and the gains of the revolution from external invasion,
and protect the freedom, independence and peace of the
fatherland." The dual nature of the KPA as the "army of the
Party" and of the state is reflected in the national military
command structure.
Under the coordinated authority of the party's Military
Affairs Committee and the state National Defense Commission, both
chaired by President Kim Il Sung, the Ministry of People's Armed
Forces exercises jurisdiction over the KPA
(see
fig. 10). Eight
major organizations constitute the national command authorities:
the president; the KWP's Military Affairs Committee; the Civil
Defense Department; the Military Affairs Department; the Supreme
People's Assembly; the National Defense Commission with special
emphasis on its chairman; the Ministry of People's Armed Forces;
and the General Political Bureau of the General Staff.
Under previous constitutions, the president was empowered as
the supreme commander of the armed forces and as chairman of the
National Defense Commission. At the Seventh Supreme People's
Assembly on April 5, 1982, the Ministry of People's Armed Forces
(along with the Ministry of Public Security and the State
Inspection Commission) was separated from the State
Administration Council and made responsible to the president
alone. On December 24, 1991, however, the constitutional and
legal requirements were muddied when it was announced that
President Kim's son and heir apparent, Kim Jong Il, had been
named supreme commander. The 1992 state constitution, however,
deletes clauses in the 1972 constitution that stipulated that the
president was supreme commander of the armed forces and chairman
of the National Defense Commission, shifting powers instead to
the Supreme People's Assembly and the National Defense
Commission. Under the revisions, the president retains only the
power to recommend the election or recall of the chairman of the
National Defense Commission.
The KWP Military Affairs Committee determines broad security
policy, including basic military policy, political indoctrination
of the armed services, resource allocation, and high-level
personnel matters. The committee has under its jurisdiction both
the regular and paramilitary forces. The Military Affairs
Committee consists of between ten and twenty party officials,
typically military officers. In mid-1993 Kim Il Sung, as general
secretary of the KWP, headed the committee, and Kim Jong Il was
second in command.
Under the 1992 constitution, the Supreme People's Assembly
gained the power to elect or to recall the authority of the
chairman of the National Defense Commission on the recommendation
of the president. On the recommendation of the commission
chairman, it has election and recall authority over the first
vice chairman, the vice chairman, and members of the commission.
According to Article 91.20, it also retains ultimate power to
"decide on questions conceding war and peace."
The 1992 constitution appears to continue a trend of
increasing the importance and independence of the National
Defense Commission. Links to the Central People's Committee were
apparently severed and the commission became directly subordinate
to the Supreme People's Assembly. Article 111 states "The
National Defense Commission is the supreme military guidance
organ of the DPRK sovereign power," and Article 113 declares,
"The Chairman of the DPRK National Defense Commission commands
and controls all the armed forces." Under Article 114, the
commission has the power to declare a state of war and issue
mobilization orders in an emergency, guide the armed forces,
appoint and dismiss major military cadres, and control general
officer promotions. These sweeping changes are apparently aimed
at laying the groundwork for readdressing the apparent violation
of the constitution when Kim Jong Il was installed as supreme
commander of the army in December 1991. Although the commission's
position in the state was enhanced, observers believe that, in
reality, it adopted and implemented policies based on the KWP's
Military Affairs Committee guidelines. The National Defense
Commission has a chairman, first vice chairman, one or more
additional vice chairman, and between nine and fifteen members
inclusive, usually all military officers. In mid-1993 Kim Il Sung
was chairman and Kim Jong Il first vice chairman.
The Ministry of People's Armed Forces is organizationally
subordinate to the state structure but is controlled by the KWP.
The ministry is responsible for management and operational
control of the armed forces. Prior to 1992, it was under the
direct control of the president, with guidance from the National
Defense Commission and the KWP Military Affairs Department. The
1992 state constitution shifts its control to the National
Defense Commission.
The Ministry of People's Armed Forces has three principal
departments. The General Staff Department exercises operational
control over the military. The General Political Bureau guides
and supervises party organizations and political activities at
all levels of the ministry under direction of the party's
Military Affairs Committee. The General Rear Services Bureau
controls logistics, support, and procurement activities. Other
bureaus include the Military Tribunal Bureau and the Prosecutors'
Bureau.
Major operational forces include all corps, the Light
Infantry Training Guidance Bureau (formerly called the VIII
Special Warfare Corps or the Special Forces Corps), the
Reconnaissance Bureau, the navy, the air force, the Air Defense
Command, and some combat support units. The Artillery Command,
the Armor Command, and some twenty-six bureaus, two departments,
and two offices are responsible for doctrine, administration,
logistics, and training for functional areas, including the field
artillery, air defense artillery, armor, mechanized infantry,
ordnance, and chemical warfare. Corps-level commands in peacetime
are directly commanded by the General Staff Department.
Data as of June 1993
![[PDF]](/images/frd/cs/pdf.gif)
Figure 10. Organization of the Armed Forces, 1991
National Command Authority
Major General Kim Yong-chol, vice minister, Ministry of
People's Armed Forces
Courtesy Tracy Woodward
On November 23, 1992, the South Korean government released
the text of the revised North Korean state constitution, which
had been approved, but not made public, by the Ninth Supreme
People's Assembly on April 9, 1992. The document revises the
structure of the national command authority.
The KPA is a creation of both the government and the KWP.
According to Chapter 7, Article 46 of the KWP constitution, "The
Korean People's Army is the revolutionary armed forces of the
Korean Workers' Party." The 1992 state constitution groups
clauses related to national defense into two sections. Those
defining the role and mission of the armed forces are under the
subheading entitled National Defense--Chapter 4, Article 58
through Article 62. The text redefining the relationships between
the president, Supreme People's Assembly, and National Defense
Commission is under the subheading on State Institutions--Chapter
6, Article 111 through Article 114. The duality of the KPA's role
is indicated in Article 59, which states, "The mission of the
Armed Forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is to
defend the interests of the working people, defend the socialist
system and the gains of the revolution from external invasion,
and protect the freedom, independence and peace of the
fatherland." The dual nature of the KPA as the "army of the
Party" and of the state is reflected in the national military
command structure.
Under the coordinated authority of the party's Military
Affairs Committee and the state National Defense Commission, both
chaired by President Kim Il Sung, the Ministry of People's Armed
Forces exercises jurisdiction over the KPA
(see
fig. 10). Eight
major organizations constitute the national command authorities:
the president; the KWP's Military Affairs Committee; the Civil
Defense Department; the Military Affairs Department; the Supreme
People's Assembly; the National Defense Commission with special
emphasis on its chairman; the Ministry of People's Armed Forces;
and the General Political Bureau of the General Staff.
Under previous constitutions, the president was empowered as
the supreme commander of the armed forces and as chairman of the
National Defense Commission. At the Seventh Supreme People's
Assembly on April 5, 1982, the Ministry of People's Armed Forces
(along with the Ministry of Public Security and the State
Inspection Commission) was separated from the State
Administration Council and made responsible to the president
alone. On December 24, 1991, however, the constitutional and
legal requirements were muddied when it was announced that
President Kim's son and heir apparent, Kim Jong Il, had been
named supreme commander. The 1992 state constitution, however,
deletes clauses in the 1972 constitution that stipulated that the
president was supreme commander of the armed forces and chairman
of the National Defense Commission, shifting powers instead to
the Supreme People's Assembly and the National Defense
Commission. Under the revisions, the president retains only the
power to recommend the election or recall of the chairman of the
National Defense Commission.
The KWP Military Affairs Committee determines broad security
policy, including basic military policy, political indoctrination
of the armed services, resource allocation, and high-level
personnel matters. The committee has under its jurisdiction both
the regular and paramilitary forces. The Military Affairs
Committee consists of between ten and twenty party officials,
typically military officers. In mid-1993 Kim Il Sung, as general
secretary of the KWP, headed the committee, and Kim Jong Il was
second in command.
Under the 1992 constitution, the Supreme People's Assembly
gained the power to elect or to recall the authority of the
chairman of the National Defense Commission on the recommendation
of the president. On the recommendation of the commission
chairman, it has election and recall authority over the first
vice chairman, the vice chairman, and members of the commission.
According to Article 91.20, it also retains ultimate power to
"decide on questions conceding war and peace."
The 1992 constitution appears to continue a trend of
increasing the importance and independence of the National
Defense Commission. Links to the Central People's Committee were
apparently severed and the commission became directly subordinate
to the Supreme People's Assembly. Article 111 states "The
National Defense Commission is the supreme military guidance
organ of the DPRK sovereign power," and Article 113 declares,
"The Chairman of the DPRK National Defense Commission commands
and controls all the armed forces." Under Article 114, the
commission has the power to declare a state of war and issue
mobilization orders in an emergency, guide the armed forces,
appoint and dismiss major military cadres, and control general
officer promotions. These sweeping changes are apparently aimed
at laying the groundwork for readdressing the apparent violation
of the constitution when Kim Jong Il was installed as supreme
commander of the army in December 1991. Although the commission's
position in the state was enhanced, observers believe that, in
reality, it adopted and implemented policies based on the KWP's
Military Affairs Committee guidelines. The National Defense
Commission has a chairman, first vice chairman, one or more
additional vice chairman, and between nine and fifteen members
inclusive, usually all military officers. In mid-1993 Kim Il Sung
was chairman and Kim Jong Il first vice chairman.
The Ministry of People's Armed Forces is organizationally
subordinate to the state structure but is controlled by the KWP.
The ministry is responsible for management and operational
control of the armed forces. Prior to 1992, it was under the
direct control of the president, with guidance from the National
Defense Commission and the KWP Military Affairs Department. The
1992 state constitution shifts its control to the National
Defense Commission.
The Ministry of People's Armed Forces has three principal
departments. The General Staff Department exercises operational
control over the military. The General Political Bureau guides
and supervises party organizations and political activities at
all levels of the ministry under direction of the party's
Military Affairs Committee. The General Rear Services Bureau
controls logistics, support, and procurement activities. Other
bureaus include the Military Tribunal Bureau and the Prosecutors'
Bureau.
Major operational forces include all corps, the Light
Infantry Training Guidance Bureau (formerly called the VIII
Special Warfare Corps or the Special Forces Corps), the
Reconnaissance Bureau, the navy, the air force, the Air Defense
Command, and some combat support units. The Artillery Command,
the Armor Command, and some twenty-six bureaus, two departments,
and two offices are responsible for doctrine, administration,
logistics, and training for functional areas, including the field
artillery, air defense artillery, armor, mechanized infantry,
ordnance, and chemical warfare. Corps-level commands in peacetime
are directly commanded by the General Staff Department.
Data as of June 1993
- North Korea-THE KOREAN WORKERS' PARTY
- North Korea-Primary and Secondary Education
- North Korea-Military Industry
- North Korea-Contemporary Cultural Expression
- North Korea-The United States
- North Korea-INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
- North Korea-The Chosn Dynasty: Florescence
- North Korea-KOREA IN THE NINETEENTH-CENTURY WORLD ORDER
- North Korea-Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation
- North Korea-Literature, Music, and Film
- North Korea-Civil Aviation
- North Korea-Officer Corps: Recruitment and Education
- North Korea-Confucian and Neo-Confucian Values SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND VALUES
- North Korea-Inter-Korean Affairs
- North Korea-GEOGRAPHY
- North Korea-Population Structure and Projections
- North Korea-Korea under the Japanese Occupation ECONOMIC SETTING
- North Korea-EDUCATION
- North Korea-National Command Authority THE ARMED FORCES
- North Korea-Civil Aviation
- North Korea-Reserves and Paramilitary Forces
- North Korea-Record of Economic Performance
- North Korea-GEOPOLITICAL CHANGES: NEW WORLD ORDER AND NORTH KOREAN SECURITY
- North Korea-Resource Development
- North Korea-Relations with the Third World
- North Korea-THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
- North Korea-Urban Life
- North Korea-Production and Distribution of Crops and Livestock
- North Korea-Village Life
- North Korea-Organization and Disposition
- North Korea-Organization and Disposition
- North Korea-Formulation of National Security Policy
- North Korea-Mining and Metal Processing
- North Korea-Forestry
- North Korea-Historical Influences THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- North Korea-NORTH KOREA
- North Korea-Postwar Economic Planning
- North Korea-The Korean Language
- North Korea-The Colonial Transformation of Korean Society
- North Korea-GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
- North Korea-Economic Assistance
- North Korea-Relations Between the Military and the Korean Workers' Party
- North Korea-Special Weapons
- North Korea-CORPORATISM AND THE CHUCH'E IDEA
- North Korea-Social Control INTERNAL SECURITY
- North Korea-Military Capability, Readiness, Training, and Recent Trends
- North Korea-Social Education
- North Korea-CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
- North Korea-BUDGET AND FINANCE
- North Korea-RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PARTY
- North Korea-CHAPTER 5 - NATIONAL SECURITY
- North Korea-Adult Education
- North Korea-THE KOREAN WAR
- North Korea-Emergence of the New Doctrine
- North Korea-POPULATION
- North Korea-INDUSTRY
- North Korea-The Period of the Three Kingdoms
- North Korea-NATIONAL SECURITY
- North Korea-The Navy
- North Korea-CHAPTER 2 - THE SOCIETY AND ITS ENVIRONMENT
- North Korea-CHAPTER 1 - HISTORICAL SETTING
- North Korea-Koreans Living Overseas
- North Korea-INTRODUCTION
- North Korea-DEFENSE INDUSTRY AND INFRASTRUCTURE
- North Korea-Architecture and City Planning
- North Korea-Developmental Strategy
- North Korea-Tradition and Modernity in North Korea
- North Korea-Dynastic Decline
- North Korea-The Army
- North Korea-Manufacturing
- North Korea-FOREIGN POLICY
- North Korea-INFRASTRUCTURE
- North Korea-MASS ORGANIZATIONS
- North Korea-The Air Force
- North Korea-Role in National Life
- North Korea-Unification by Kory
- North Korea-POLITICAL IDEOLOGY: THE ROLE OF CHUCH'E
- North Korea-Foreign Investment and Joint Ventures
- North Korea-Air Defense
- North Korea-Higher Education
- North Korea -COUNTRY PROFILE
- North Korea-CHAPTER 4 - GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
- North Korea-THE ORIGINS OF THE KOREAN NATION
- North Korea-Development in Major Sectors
- North Korea-Classes and Social Strata
- North Korea-Transportation and Communications
- North Korea-Special Operations Forces
- North Korea-Energy and Power
- North Korea-Japan
- North Korea-Foreign Trade
- North Korea-PROSPECTS
- North Korea-Weapons and Equipment
- North Korea-Korea under Silla
- North Korea-THE NATIONAL DIVISION AND THE ORIGINS OF THE DPRK
- North Korea-Employment in Offensive Scenario
- North Korea-Telecommunications
- North Korea-The Supreme People's Assembly ORGANIZATION OF THE GOVERNMENT
- North Korea-The Role of Religion
- North Korea-Services and Marketing
- North Korea-Weapons and Equipment
- North Korea-ETHNICITY, CULTURE, AND LANGUAGE IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY
- North Korea-HISTORICAL SETTING
- North Korea-Educational Themes and Methods
- North Korea-Organization and Management
- North Korea-Chuch'e and Contemporary Social Values
- North Korea-LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION
- North Korea-The Executive Branch
- North Korea-FOREWORD
- North Korea-The Traditional Family and Kinship
- North Korea-AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, AND FISHERIES
- North Korea-Party Cadres
- North Korea-Environmental Protection
- North Korea-Weapons and Equipment
- North Korea-MILITARY HERITAGE
- North Korea-THE MEDIA
- North Korea
- North Korea-THE RISE OF KOREAN NATIONALISM AND COMMUNISM
- North Korea-The Central People's Committee
- North Korea
- North Korea-China and the Soviet Union
- North Korea-FOREIGN ECONOMIC RELATIONS
- North Korea
- North Korea-PROSPECTS
- North Korea-The Taean Work System
- North Korea-The Public Security Apparatus
- North Korea-Roads
- North Korea-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE
- North Korea
- North Korea-Local Government
- North Korea
- North Korea-Fisheries
- North Korea-The Evolution of North Korean Military Thought
- North Korea
- North Korea-PUBLIC HEALTH
- North Korea-Military Conscription and Terms of Service
- North Korea-The Ruling Elite
- North Korea-The Nuclear Option
- North Korea-The Ch'ongsan-ni Method
- North Korea-Organization and Management of the Economy
- North Korea-MILITARY DOCTRINE AND STRATEGY
- North Korea-Climate
- North Korea-Family Life
- North Korea-ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- North Korea-Mass Production Campaigns
- North Korea-Operational Practice in the 1980s and 1990s
- North Korea-Chosn Dynasty Social Structure
- North Korea-SOCIETY
- North Korea-ECONOMY
- North Korea
- North Korea-The Judiciary
- North Korea-The Judiciary
- North Korea-The State Administration Council
- North Korea-PARTY LEADERSHIP AND ELITE RECRUITMENT
- North Korea
- North Korea-Relations with China and the Soviet Union FOREIGN MILITARY RELATIONS
- North Korea-Trends, Training, Readiness, and Military Capability
- North Korea
- North Korea-Military Capability and Coastal Defense
- North Korea-TRANSPORTATION AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
- North Korea-PREFACE
- North Korea-Missile Developments
- North Korea-The Role of Women
- North Korea-THE LEGACY OF JAPANESE COLONIALISM
- North Korea
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Background | | An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea was occupied by Japan beginning in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War. Five years later, Japan formally annexed the entire peninsula. Following World War II, Korea was split with the northern half coming under Soviet-sponsored Communist control. After failing in the Korean War (1950-53) to conquer the US-backed Republic of Korea (ROK) in the southern portion by force, North Korea (DPRK), under its founder President KIM Il Sung, adopted a policy of ostensible diplomatic and economic "self-reliance" as a check against outside influence. The DPRK demonized the US as the ultimate threat to its social system through state-funded propaganda, and molded political, economic, and military policies around the core ideological objective of eventual unification of Korea under Pyongyang's control. KIM's son, the current ruler KIM Jong Il, was officially designated as his father's successor in 1980, assuming a growing political and managerial role until the elder KIM's death in 1994. After decades of economic mismanagement and resource misallocation, the DPRK since the mid-1990s has relied heavily on international aid to feed its population. North Korea's history of regional military provocations, proliferation of military-related items, long-range missile development, WMD programs including nuclear weapons test in 2006 and 2009, and massive conventional armed forces are of major concern to the international community.
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Location | | Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea
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Area(sq km) | | total: 120,538 sq km
land: 120,408 sq km
water: 130 sq km
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Geographic coordinates | | 40 00 N, 127 00 E
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Land boundaries(km) | | total: 1,673 km
border countries: China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km
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Coastline(km) | | 2,495 km
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Climate | | temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer
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Elevation extremes(m) | | lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Paektu-san 2,744 m
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Natural resources | | coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower
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Land use(%) | | arable land: 22.4%
permanent crops: 1.66%
other: 75.94% (2005)
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Irrigated land(sq km) | | 14,600 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources(cu km) | | 77.1 cu km (1999)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) | | total: 9.02 cu km/yr (20%/25%/55%)
per capita: 401 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards | | late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional typhoons during the early fall
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Environment - current issues | | water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; waterborne disease; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation
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Environment - international agreements | | party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
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Geography - note | | strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated
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Population | | 22,665,345 (July 2009 est.)
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Age structure(%) | | 0-14 years: 21.3% (male 2,440,439/female 2,376,557)
15-64 years: 69.4% (male 7,776,889/female 7,945,399)
65 years and over: 9.4% (male 820,504/female 1,305,557) (2009 est.)
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Median age(years) | | total: 33.5 years
male: 32.1 years
female: 34.9 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate(%) | | 0.42% (2009 est.)
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Birth rate(births/1,000 population) | | 14.82 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Death rate(deaths/1,000 population) | | 10.52 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
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Net migration rate(migrant(s)/1,000 population) | | -0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Urbanization(%) | | urban population: 63% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio(male(s)/female) | | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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Infant mortality rate(deaths/1,000 live births) | | total: 51.34 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 58.64 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 43.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth(years) | | total population: 63.81 years
male: 61.23 years
female: 66.53 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate(children born/woman) | | 1.96 children born/woman (2009 est.)
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Nationality | | noun: Korean(s)
adjective: Korean
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Ethnic groups(%) | | racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese
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Religions(%) | | traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way)
note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom
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Languages(%) | | Korean
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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
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Government type | | Communist state one-man dictatorship
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Capital | | name: Pyongyang
geographic coordinates: 39 01 N, 125 45 E
time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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Administrative divisions | | 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 2 municipalities (si, singular and plural)
provinces: Chagang-do (Chagang), Hamgyong-bukto (North Hamgyong), Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong), Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae), Hwanghae-namdo (South Hwanghae), Kangwon-do (Kangwon), P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan), P'yongan-namdo (South P'yongan), Yanggang-do (Yanggang)
municipalities: Nason-si, P'yongyang-si
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Constitution | | adopted 1948; revised several times
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Legal system | | based on Prussian civil law system with Japanese influences and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage | | 17 years of age; universal
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Executive branch | | chief of state: KIM Jong Il (since July 1994); note - on 9 April 2009, rubberstamp Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) reelected KIM Jong Il chairman of the National Defense Commission, a position accorded nation's "highest administrative authority"; SPA reelected KIM Yong Nam in 2009 president of its Presidium also with responsibility of representing state and receiving diplomatic credentials
head of government: Premier KIM Yong Il (since 11 April 2007); Vice Premier KWAK Pom Gi (since 5 September 1998), Vice Premier O Su Yong (since 13 April 2009), Vice Premier PAK Su Gil (since 18 September 2009), Vice Premier PAK Myong Su (since 4 September 2009), Vice Premier RO Tu Chol (since 3 September 2003)
cabinet: Naegak (cabinet) members, except for Minister of People's Armed Forces, are appointed by SPA
elections: last held in September 2003; date of next election NA
election results: KIM Jong Il and KIM Yong Nam were only nominees for positions and ran unopposed
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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 8 March 2009 (next due to be held in March 2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected without opposition; a token number of seats are reserved for minor parties
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Judicial branch | | Central Court (judges are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly)
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Political pressure groups and leaders | | none
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International organization participation | | ARF, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
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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
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Economy - overview | | North Korea, one of the world's most centrally directed and least open economies, faces chronic economic problems. Industrial capital stock is nearly beyond repair as a result of years of underinvestment and shortages of spare parts. Large-scale military spending draws off resources needed for investment and civilian consumption. Industrial and power output have declined in parallel from pre-1990 levels. Severe flooding in the summer of 2007 aggravated chronic food shortages caused by on-going systemic problems including a lack of arable land, collective farming practices, and persistent shortages of tractors and fuel. Large-scale international food aid deliveries have allowed the people of North Korea to escape widespread starvation since famine threatened in 1995, but the population continues to suffer from prolonged malnutrition and poor living conditions. Since 2002, the government has allowed private "farmers' markets" to begin selling a wider range of goods. It also permitted some private farming - on an experimental basis - in an effort to boost agricultural output. In October 2005, the government tried to reverse some of these policies by forbidding private sales of grains and reinstituting a centralized food rationing system. By December 2005, the government terminated most international humanitarian assistance operations in North Korea (calling instead for developmental assistance only) and restricted the activities of remaining international and non-governmental aid organizations such as the World Food Program. External food aid now comes primarily from China and South Korea in the form of grants and long-term concessional loans. In May 2008, the US agreed to give 500,000 metric tons of food to North Korea via the World Food Program and US nongovernmental organizations; Pyongyang began receiving these shipments in mid-2008. During the October 2007 summit, South Korea also agreed to develop some of North Korea's infrastructure, natural resources, and light industry, but inter-Korean economic cooperation slowed in 2008 as Pyongyang restricted tourism and manufacturing joint ventures in the North, and food aid from South Korea was suspended. Firm political control remains the Communist government's overriding concern, which will likely inhibit the loosening of economic regulations.
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GDP (purchasing power parity) | | $40 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP (official exchange rate) | | $26.2 billion (2008 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate(%) | | 3.7% (2008 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP) | | $1,800 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP - composition by sector(%) | | agriculture: 23.3%
industry: 43.1%
services: 33.6% (2002 est.)
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Labor force | | 20 million
note: estimates vary widely (2004 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation(%) | | agriculture: 37%
industry and services: 63% (2004 est.)
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Unemployment rate(%) | | NA%
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Population below poverty line(%) | | NA%
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Household income or consumption by percentage share(%) | | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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Budget | | revenues: $2.88 billion
expenditures: $2.98 billion (2005)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices)(%) | | NA%
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Economic aid - recipient | | $372 million
note: approximately 65,000 metric tons in food aid through the World Food Program appeals in 2007, plus additional aid from bilateral donors and non-governmental organizations (2007 est.)
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Agriculture - products | | rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs
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Industries | | military products; machine building, electric power, chemicals; mining (coal, iron ore, limestone, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food processing; tourism
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Industrial production growth rate(%) | | NA%
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Exports | | $1.684 billion (2007)
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Exports - commodities(%) | | minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures (including armaments), textiles, agricultural and fishery products
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Exports - partners(%) | | South Korea 45%, China 35%, India 5% (2007)
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Imports | | $3.055 billion (2007)
$2.879 billion (2006)
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Imports - commodities(%) | | petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment, textiles, grain
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Imports - partners(%) | | China 46%, South Korea 34%, Thailand 6%, Russia 4% (2007)
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Debt - external | | $12.5 billion (2001 est.)
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Exchange rates | | North Korean won (KPW) per US dollar - 140 (2007), 141 (2006), 170 (December 2004), market rate: North Korean won per US dollar - 3,400 (October 2008)
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Currency (code) | | North Korean won (KPW)
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Telephones - main lines in use | | 1.18 million (2008)
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Telephone system | | general assessment: inadequate system; currently mobile cellular telephone services are available in Pyongyang only
domestic: fiber-optic links installed between cities; telephone directories unavailable; mobile cellular service, initiated in 2002, suspended in 2004; Orascom Telecom, an Egyptian company, launched mobile service on December 15, 2008 for the Pyongyang area only
international: country code - 850; satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean, 1 Russian - Indian Ocean region); other international connections through Moscow and Beijing (2008)
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Internet country code | | .kp
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Airports | | 79 (2009)
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Pipelines(km) | | oil 154 km (2008)
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Roadways(km) | | total: 25,554 km
paved: 724 km
unpaved: 24,830 km (2006)
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Ports and terminals | | Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch'aek, Kosong, Najin, Namp'o, Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Ungsang, Wonsan
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Military branches | | North Korean People's Army: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force; civil security forces (2005)
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Military service age and obligation(years of age) | | 17 years of age (2004)
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Manpower available for military service | | males age 16-49: 6,225,747
females age 16-49: 6,188,270 (2008 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 4,104,964
females age 16-49: 4,492,374 (2009 est.)
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 191,759
female: 184,641 (2009 est.)
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Military expenditures(% of GDP) | | NA
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Disputes - international | | risking arrest, imprisonment, and deportation, tens of thousands of North Koreans cross into China to escape famine, economic privation, and political oppression; North Korea and China dispute the sovereignty of certain islands in Yalu and Tumen rivers; Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic incidents in the Yellow Sea with South Korea which claims the Northern Limiting Line as a maritime boundary; North Korea supports South Korea in rejecting Japan's claim to Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima)
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Refugees and internally displaced persons | | IDPs: undetermined (flooding in mid-2007 and famine during mid-1990s) (2007)
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Trafficking in persons | | current situation: North Korea is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; the most common form of trafficking involves North Korean women and girls who cross the border into China voluntarily; additionally, North Korean women and girls are lured out of North Korea to escape poor social and economic conditions by the promise of food, jobs, and freedom, only to be forced into prostitution, marriage, or exploitative labor arrangements once in China
tier rating: Tier 3 - North Korea does not fully comply with minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government does not acknowledge the existence of human rights abuses in the country or recognize trafficking, either within the country or transnationally; North Korea has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)
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Electricity - production(kWh) | | 20.9 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - production by source(%) | | fossil fuel: 29%
hydro: 71%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
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Electricity - consumption(kWh) | | 17.49 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 0 kWh (2008 est.)
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Electricity - imports(kWh) | | 0 kWh (2008 est.)
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Oil - production(bbl/day) | | 120.7 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - consumption(bbl/day) | | 16,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - exports(bbl/day) | | 0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - imports(bbl/day) | | 13,890 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - proved reserves(bbl) | | 0 bbl
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Natural gas - production(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008)
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Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | NA
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | NA
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HIV/AIDS - deaths | | NA
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Literacy(%) | | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99%
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Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | NA
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