Guide Note

North Korea, a state in East Asia, is officially titled the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Bordered by South Korea to its south, China to its west and the Sea of Japan to its left, North Korea occupies the northern half of the Korean Peninsula, with its capital in the city of Pyongyang.

Its form of government is widely considered a Stalinist dictatorship following the Juche ideology of self reliance, developed by Kim Il-sung, the country's former president. International relations are strong with other socialist states: Vietnam, Laos, China, Russia, Cambodia and Myanmar.

With a major famine in the early 1990s caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union, their economic partner, Kim Jong-Il increased economic concentration and support for the military via the "Military-First" policy in 1995.

Tourism is officially promoted and heavily controlled by the state-owned Tourism Organization ("Ryohaengsa"). Most visas are granted to tourists from China and Japan. Each visitor is accompanied by one or two "guides" who dictate the itinerary and schedule. Contact with native North Koreans is subdued. dictated by the guides; any contact with North Koreans is subdued, whenever possible. Citizens of the United States and South Korea are rarely granted visas for entry into North Korea.

Fast Facts

Capital: P'yongyang
Government: Juche Stalinist Dictatorship
Premier: Kim Jong-Il
Population: 23,301,725 (2007)
Area: 46,528 sq mi
Currency: North Korean Won (KPW)
Exchange Rate: 0
Calling code: +850
Official Language: Korean
Time Zone: UTC+9

Categories

Geography | Travel | Countries | East Asia

View Note History

North Korea

Also try: Kim Jong-Il | U.S. Conflict with North Korea | N. Korea Nuclear Deadline | North Korea Ends Nuclear Program

The Mahalo Top 7

Official Site: Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Library of Congress Portals to the World: North Korea
Library of Congress: A Country Study: North Korea
CIA World Factbook: North Korea
British Foreign & Commonwealth Office: North Korea
Wikipedia: North Korea
BBC Country Profile: North Korea

North Korea Recent News

Google News: North Korea News
Local Online Newspaper: North Korea Daily
Local Newspaper: The People's Korea
BBC: N Korea 'stops nuclear disabling' (August 26, 2008)
BBC: Japan's radio pleas to North Korea (March 5, 2008)

North Korea Vacation

Virtual Toursit: North Korea Travel Guide
TripAdvisor: North Korea Overview
Lonely Planet: North Korea Overview

North Korea Travel Information

World66: North Korea Travel Guide
Wikitravel: North Korea
U.S. Department of State: Consular Information Sheet
World Travel Guide: The Democratic People's Republic of Korea Travel Guide

North Korea Politics

Wikipedia: Politics of North Korea
BBC News: North Korea: A Political History
Portals to the World: Government, Politics, Law: North Korea

North Korea Government Sites

Official Site:Office of the President
Official Site: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)
Official Site: DPRK Politics
Official Site: DPRK Unification

North Korea International Relations

Wikipedia: Foreign Relations of North Korea
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan: Japan-North Korea Relations
Country Studies: North Korea - Foreign Policy
Wikipedia: North Korea-United States Relations

Nuclear Weapons

Wikipedia: North Korea Nuclear Weapons
CNN.com: North Korea Nuclear Tension
FAS: Nuclear Weapons Program
Center for Defense Information: North Korea Nuclear Weapons Program
BBC News: Q&A: N Korea Nuclear Deal

Refugees

NorthKoreanRefugees.com: Life Funds for North Korea Refugees
TerraDaily: Hunger Driving North Korea Refugees, World Must Open Doors (October 6, 2006)
Human Rights Watch: Democratic People's Republic of Korea
The Independent: Fear of Famine is Creating North Korea Refugee Crisis (October 30, 2006)

North Korea Economy

Wikipedia: Economy of North Korea
North Korean Economy Watch: The New Year Joing Editorial
U.S. Department of State: North Korea Economy
International Herald Tribune: North Korea's Economy Said Weaker Than It Was 18 Years Ago (August 16, 2007)
International Relations and Security Network: North Korea Economy: Reform, Collapse

North Korea Military

Wikipedia: Korean People's Army
Wikipedia: North Korea Ground Force | North Korean Naval Force | North Korean Air Force
GlobalScurity.org: North Korea Military Guide
NationMaster.com: North Korean Military Statistics

North Korea Facts and History

National Geographic: North Korea Information and History
CBS News: Country Fast Facts: North Korea
Wikipedia: History of North Korea
Country Studies: North Korea - History

North Korea Maps and Geography

Creative Commons image by "CIA World Factbook"

Creative Commons image by "CIA World Factbook"

Lonely Planet: Map of North Korea
Wikipedia: Geography of North Korea

North Korea's Capital: P'yongyang

Wikipedia: P'yongyang
Virtual Tourist: P'yongyang Overview
World66: P'yongyang Travel Guide
Google Image Search: P'yongyang Photos
BBC Weather: P'yongyang Weather

North Korea's Major City: Hamhung

Wikipedia: Hamhung
Google Image Search: Hamhung Photos

North Korea Photos and Videos

Google Image Search: North Korea Photos
Flickr: North Korea Pictures
TrekEarth: North Korea Photos
YouTube & Google Video Search: North Korea
YouTube: Paul Koontz: Tourist snapshots from North Korea (Time 06:24)

North Korea Culture

Wikipedia: Contemporary Culture of North Korea
Democratic People's Republic of Korea: Society
Life In Korea: Cultural Spotlight

Cuisine

Wikipedia: Korean Cuisine
Tour 2 Korea: Korean Food
Galbijim: North Korean Food

Related Searches

North Korea Ends Nuclear Program | N. Korea Nuclear Deadline | U.S. Conflict with North Korea | South Korea | China | Japan | Vietnam | Laos | Russian Federation | Cambodia | Myanmar | Buddhism | Christianity | Sea of Japan | Kim Jong-Il