'North Korea', officially known as the 'Democratic People's Republic of Korea' (the 'DPRK'), is a
country in
East Asia in the northern half of the
Korean Peninsula, with its capital in the city of
Pyongyang. At its northern border are
China on the
Yalu River and
Russia on the
Tumen River, in the far northeastern corner of the country. To the south, it is bordered by
South Korea, with which it formed
one nation until the division following
World War II.
North Korea follows the
Juche ideology, developed by
Kim Il-sung, the country's first
president. The current head of state is
Kim Jong-il, the former President's son. The Juche government focuses on self-reliance, but relations are strong with
socialist allies,
Vietnam,
Laos, and the
People's Republic of China, as well as with
Cambodia and
Myanmar. Following a
major famine in the early 1990s after the collapse of the
Soviet Union, a major economic partner, leader Kim Jong-il instated the
"Military-First" policy in 1995, increasing economic concentration and support for the military.
Multiple international human rights organizations, including
Amnesty International and
Human Rights Watch, have accused North Korea of having one of the worst human rights records of any nation. Defectors have testified to the existence of detention camps, reporting torture, murder, and medical experimentation.
Open Doors, a support group for persecuted
Christians, rates North Korea the country with the worst persecution of Christians in the world.
North Korea's culture is officially protected and heavily promoted by the government. The
Mass Games are government-organized events glorifying its two leaders, involving over 100,000 performers. In July 2004, the
Complex of Goguryeo Tombs became the first site in the country to be included in the
UNESCO list of
World Heritage Sites.
History
Main articles: History of North Korea
Emergence of North Korea
In the aftermath of the
Japanese occupation of Korea, which ended with
Japan's defeat in
World War II in 1945; the
Soviet Union took the surrender of Japanese forces and controlled the area north of the 38th parallel and the
United States likewise the area south of the parallel. Virtually all Koreans welcomed
liberation from
Japanese imperial rule, yet objected to re-imposition of foreign rule upon the
peninsula. The Soviets and Americans disagreed on the implementation of Joint Trusteeship over Korea, with each establishing its socio-economic and political system upon its
jurisdiction, leading, in 1948, to the establishment of ideologically opposed governments.
[4] The United States then withdrew its forces from Korea. Growing tensions and border skirmishes between north and south led to the civil war called the
Korean War.
On
June 25,
1950, the
(North) Korean People's Army crossed the 38th Parallel in a war of peninsular reunification under their political system. The war continued until
July 27,
1953, when the
United Nations Command, the Korean People's Army, and the Chinese
People's Volunteer Army signed the Korean War Armistice Agreement.
[5] Since that time the
Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) has separated the North and South.
Economic evolution
In the aftermath of the
Korean War and throughout the 1960s and '70s, the country's state-controlled
economy grew at a significant rate and, until the late 1970s, was considered to be stronger than that of the South. The apparent wealth, however, was hardly distributed to the majority of the general population. The country struggled throughout the 1990s, primarily due to the loss of strategic trade arrangements with the
USSR[6] and strained relations with
China following China's normalization with
South Korea in 1992.
[7] In addition, North Korea experienced record-breaking
floods (1995 and 1996) followed by several years of equally severe
drought beginning in 1997.
[8] This, compounded with only 18 percent arable land
[9] and an inability to import the goods necessary to sustain industry,
[10] led to an
immense famine and left North Korea in economic shambles. Large numbers of North Koreans illegally entered the People's Republic of China in search of food. Faced with a country in decay, Kim Jong-il adopted a
"Military-First" policy to strengthen the country and reinforce the regime.
[11]
Government and politics
Main articles: Politics of North Korea
North Korea is officially described as a
Juche (self-reliance) State. Government is organized as a
dictatorship.
Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea, was the country's first and only
president. Following his death in 1994 he was not replaced, instead receiving the designation of "Eternal President", and rests in the
Kumsusan Memorial Palace in central
Pyongyang. The active position has been abolished in deference to the memory of Kim Il-sung.
[12]
The
de facto head of state is
Kim Jong-il, who is
Chairman of the National Defense Commission as well as the former President's son. The legislature of North Korea is the
Supreme People's Assembly, currently led by President
Kim Yong-nam. The other senior government leader is
Premier Kim Yong-il.
North Korea is a single-party state with a
Stalinist,
authoritarian, and
totalitarian regime. The governing party is the
Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland, a coalition made up of three smaller parties, the
Workers' Party of Korea, the
Korean Social Democratic Party and the
Chondoist Chongu Party. These parties nominate all candidates for office and hold all seats in the Supreme People's Assembly.
Human rights
Main articles: Human rights in North Korea
Multiple international
human rights organizations, including
Amnesty International and
Human Rights Watch, accuse North Korea of having one of the worst human rights records of any nation.
[13] North Koreans have been referred to as "some of the world's most brutalized people", regarding their severe restrictions on
political and
economic freedoms.
[14] North Korean defectors have testified to the existence of
prison and detention camps with an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 inmates, and have reported
torture,
starvation,
rape,
murder,
medical experimentation,
forced labor, and forced
abortions.
[15]
Foreign relations
Main articles: Foreign relations of North Korea
Since the
ceasefire of the
Korean War in 1953, the relations between the North Korean government and
South Korea, the
United States, and
Japan have remained tense. Fighting was halted in the ceasefire, however both Koreas are still technically at war. Both the North and South Korean governments proclaim that they are seeking eventual
reunification as a goal. North Korea's policy is to seek reunification without what it sees as outside interference, through a federal structure retaining each side's leadership and systems. Both North and South Korea signed the
June 15th North-South Joint Declaration in 2000, in which both sides made promises to seek out a peaceful reunification.
[16]
In 2002,
U.S. President George W. Bush labeled North Korea part of an "
axis of evil" and an "
outpost of tyranny". The highest-level contact the government has had with that of the United States was with
U. S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who made a visit to Pyongyang in 2000,
[17] but the two countries do not have formal diplomatic relations.
2 In 2006, approximately 37,000 American soldiers remained in
South Korea, with plans to reduce the number to 25,000 by 2008.
[18] Despite the foreign troops,
Kim Jong-il has privately stated his acceptance of U.S. troops on the peninsula, even after a possible
reunification.
[19] If North Korea and the U.S. normalize relations, both Koreas would wish to maintain the presence of U.S. troops out of fear of
China and
Japan (see
North Korea-United States relations).
North Korea has long maintained close relations with the
People's Republic of China and
Russia. The
fall of communism in
eastern Europe in 1989 and the disintegration of the
Soviet Union in 1991 resulted in a devastating drop in aid to North Korea from Russia, although China continues to provide substantial assistance. North Korea continues to have strong ties with its
socialist southeast Asian allies in
Vietnam,
Laos and
Cambodia.
[20]
North Korea has started installing a
fence on its northern border in response to China's wishing to curb refugees fleeing from North Korea, which had erected a concrete and barbed wire fence in the past year. Previously the shared border with China and North Korea had only been lightly patrolled.
[21]
As a result of the
North Korean nuclear weapons program, the
Six-party talks have been established to find a peaceful solution for the growing unrest between the two Koreas, the Russian Federation, the People's Republic of China, Japan, and the United States.
Military
Military Parade
is the
Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and
Chairman of the National Defense Commission. The
Korean People's Army is the name for the collective armed personnel of the North Korean military. The army has four branches:
Ground Force,
Naval Force,
Air Force and the
Civil Securities Force.
According to the
U.S. Department of State, North Korea has the fourth-largest
military in the world, at an estimated 1.21 million armed personnel, with about 20% of men ages 17-54 in the regular armed forces.
[22] North Korea has the highest percentage of military personnel per capita of any nation in the world, with approximately 40 enlisted soldiers per 1,000 citizens.
[23] Annual military spending is estimated as high as
US$5 Billion (20% of GDP), compared with South Korea's $24 Billion (2.7% of GDP).
[24] Military strategy is designed for insertion and sabotage behind enemy lines in wartime,
22 with much of the KPA's forces deployed along the heavily fortified
Korean Demilitarized Zone.
Nuclear weapons program
Main articles: North Korea and weapons of mass destruction
On
October 9 2006, North Korea conducted its
first nuclear test.
[25] The blast was smaller than expected and U.S. officials suggested that it may have been an unsuccessful test or a partially successful
fizzle.
[26] North Korea has previously stated that it has produced
nuclear weapons and according to U.S.
intelligence and
military officials it has produced, or has the capability to produce, up to six or seven such devices.
[27] As of October 2006, North Korea is not believed to have the capability to deliver a nuclear warhead by affixing to a missile or other
nuclear weapons delivery system. The most likely means of transport would be aircraft, which could be monitored.
[28]
On
March 17,
2007, North Korea told delegates at international nuclear talks it would begin shut down preparations for its main nuclear facility. This was later confirmed on
July 14 as
IAEA inspectors observed the initial shutdown phases of the
Yongbyon nuclear reactor despite there being no official timeline declared. In return, the reclusive nation has received 50,000 tons of
heavy fuel oil shipped from South Korea. Once the nuclear reactor is permanently shut down, North Korea will receive the equivalent of 950,000 tons of fuel oil when the six-nation talks reconvene. Following breakthrough talks held in September 2007, aimed at hastening the end of North Korea's nuclear programme, North Korea will "disable all its nuclear facilities" by the end of the year, according to the US assistant secretary of state. The details of such an agreement are due to be worked out in a session held in China which will involve South Korea, China, Russia and Japan. Terms for the agreement have thusfar not been disclosed, nor has it been disclosed what offer was made on the US'S part in exchange. The possibility of removing North Korea from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism has been discussed, which imposes a ban on all arms related trade with countries on the list, along with withholding US aid. Should these bans be lifted, the US may help North Koreans following devstating floods earlier this year.
Geography
Map of North Korea
North Korea is on the northern portion of the
Korean Peninsula, covering an area of 120,540
km² (46,528
mi²). North Korea shares land borders with
China and
Russia to the north, and borders
South Korea along the
Korean Demilitarized Zone. To its west are the
Yellow Sea and
Korea Bay, and to its east is the
Sea of Japan. Japan lies east of the peninsula across the Sea of Japan.
The highest point is
Baekdu Mountain at 2,744 meters (9,003 ft), and major rivers include the
Tumen River and the
Yalu River.
[29]
The local
climate is relatively
temperate, with
precipitation heavier in summer during a short rainy season called ''changma'', and winters that can be bitterly cold on occasion
[30]. From 7 to 12 August, 2007, the most devastating
floods in 40 years incited the North Korean Government to ask for international help and ONGes such as the Red Cross asked people to raise funds because they fear a humanitarian catastrophe
[31].
North Korea's capital and largest city is
Pyongyang; other major cities include
Kaesong in the south,
Sinuiju in the northwest,
Wonsan and
Hamhung in the east and
Chongjin in the northeast.
Economy
A satellite photo of the Korean Peninsula at night illustrates the large differences between North Korea and
South Korea as well as a similar contrast between North Korea and
China.
In the aftermath of the
Korean War and throughout the 1960s and '70s, the country's state-controlled
economy grew at a significant rate and, until the late 1970s, was considered to be stronger than that of the South. State-owned industry produces nearly all manufactured goods. The government focuses on heavy military industry, following Kim Jong-il's adoption of a
"Military-First" policy.
Estimates of the North Korea economy cover a broad range, as the country does not release official figures and the secretive nature of the country makes outside estimation difficult.
According to accepted estimates, North Korea spends
US$5 billion out of a
gross domestic product (GDP) of $20.9 billion on the military, compared with South Korea's $24 billion out of a GDP of $942.98 billion.
[32]
1990s famine
Main articles: North Korean famine
In the 1990s North Korea faced significant economic disruptions, including a series of natural disasters, economic mismanagement, serious
fertilizer shortages, and the collapse of the
Eastern Bloc. These resulted in a shortfall of staple
grain output of more than 1 million tons from what the country needs to meet internationally-accepted minimum dietary requirements.
[33] The
North Korean famine resulted in the deaths of between 300,000 and 800,000 North Koreans per year during the three year famine, peaking in 1997, with 2.0 million total being "the highest possible estimate."
[34] The deaths were most likely caused by famine-related illnesses such as
pneumonia,
tuberculosis, and
diarrhea rather than
starvation.
In 2006,
Amnesty International reported that a national nutrition survey conducted by the North Korean government, the
World Food Programme, and
UNICEF found that 7 percent of children were severely
malnourished; 37 percent were chronically malnourished; 23.4 percent were underweight; and one in three mothers was malnourished and
anaemic as the result of the lingering effect of the famine. The inflation caused by some of the 2002 economic reforms, including the
"Military-first" policy, was cited for creating the increased price of basic foods.
[35]
Beginning in 1997, the U.S. began shipping food aid to North Korea through the United Nations
World Food Programme (WFP) to combat the famine. Shipments peaked in 1999 at nearly 700,000 tons making the U.S. the largest foreign aid donor to the country at the time. Under the
Bush Administration, aid was drastically reduced year after year from 350,000 tons in 2001 to 40,000 in 2004.
[36] The Bush Administration took criticism for using "food as a weapon" during talks over the North's nuclear weapons program, but insisted the
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) criteria were the same for all countries and the situation in North Korea had "improved significantly since its collapse in the mid-1990s." Agricultural production had increased from about 2.7 million metric tons in 1997 to 4.2 million metric tons in 2004.
[37]
Foreign commerce
Collective farm in Hamhung.
China and South Korea remain the largest donors of unconditional food aid to North Korea. The U.S. objects to this manner of donating food due to lack of oversight.
In 2005, China and South Korea combined to provide 1 million tons of food aid, each contributing half.
[38] In addition to food aid, China reportedly provides an estimated 80 to 90 percent of North Korea's oil imports at "friendly prices" that are sharply lower than the world market price.
[39]
On
19 September 2005, North Korea was promised fuel aid and various other non-food incentives from South Korea, the U.S., Japan, Russia, and China in exchange for abandoning its nuclear weapons program and rejoining the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Providing food in exchange for abandoning weapons programs has historically been avoided by the U.S. so as not to be perceived as "using food as a weapon".
[40] Humanitarian aid from North Korea's neighbors has been cut off at times to provoke North Korea to resume boycotted talks, such as South Korea's "postponed consideration" of 500,000 tons of rice for the North in 2006 but the idea of providing food as a clear incentive (as opposed to resuming "general humanitarian aid") has been avoided.
[41]
North Korea's high-tech industrial activity has increased in the past decade.
In July 2002, North Korea started experimenting with capitalism in the
Kaesong Industrial Region.
[42] A small number of other areas have been designated as
Special Administrative Regions, including
Sinŭiju along the China-North Korea border.
China and
South Korea are the biggest trade partners of North Korea, with trade with China increasing 38% to US$1.02 billion in 2003, and trade with South Korea increasing 12% to $724 million in 2003.
40 It is reported that the number of mobile phones in
Pyongyang rose from only 3,000 in 2002 to approximately 20,000 during 2004.
[43] As of June 2004, however, mobile phones became forbidden again.
[44] A small amount of capitalistic elements are gradually spreading from the trial area, including a number of advertising billboards along certain highways. Recent visitors have reported that the number of open-air farmers' markets has increased in
Kaesong and
Pyongyang, as well as along the China-North Korea border, bypassing the food rationing system.
In an event in 2003 dubbed the "
Pong Su incident", a North Korean cargo ship allegedly attempting to smuggle heroin into Australia was seized by Australian officials, strengthening Australian and United States' suspicions that Pyongyang engages in international drug smuggling. The North Korean government denied any involvement.
[45]
Demographics
Main articles: Demographics of North Korea
North Korea's population of roughly 23 million is one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous in the world, with very small numbers of
Chinese,
Japanese,
Vietnamese and
European expatriate minorities.
Religion
View of the Daedong River overlooking Pyongyang.
North Korea shares with South Korea a
Buddhist and
Confucian heritage and recent history of
Christian and
Chondogyo ("Heavenly Way") movements. The North Korean Constitution protects freedom of religion, however, according to
Human Rights Watch, ever since the rise of communism, free religious activities no longer exist as the government sponsors religious groups only to create an illusion of religious freedom.
[46] In practical terms all religion in North Korea is superseded by a cult of personality devoted to the rulers Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il.
Pyongyang was the center of Christian activity in Korea before the Korean War. Today, two state-sanctioned churches exist, which
freedom of religion advocates allege are showcases for foreigners.
[47][48] Official government statistics report that there are 10,000
Protestants and 4,000
Roman Catholics in North Korea.
[49]
According to a ranking published by
Open Doors, an organization that supports persecuted
Christians, North Korea is currently the country with the most severe persecution of Christians in the world.
[50] Human rights groups such as
Amnesty International also have expressed concerns about religious persecution in North Korea.
[51]
Language
North Korea shares the
Korean language with South Korea. There are dialect differences within both Koreas, but the border between North and South does not represent a major linguistic boundary. The adoption of modern terms from foreign languages has been limited in North Korea, while prevalent in the South.
Hanja (Chinese characters) are no longer used in North Korea, although still occasionally used in South Korea. Both Koreas share the
Hangul writing system, called ''Chosongul'' in North Korea. The official
Romanization differs in the two countries, with North Korea using a slightly modified
McCune-Reischauer system, and the South using the
Revised Romanization of Korean.
Culture
Main articles: Culture of Korea,
Contemporary culture of North Korea
There is a vast
cult of personality around Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il and much of North Korea's literature, popular music, theater, and film glorify the two men.
A popular event in North Korea is the
Mass Games. The most recent and largest Mass Games was called "
Arirang". It was performed six nights a week for two months, and involved over 100,000 performers. Attendees to this event report that the anti-West sentiments have been toned down compared to previous performances. The Mass Games involve performances of
dance,
gymnastic, and
choreographic routines which celebrate the history of North Korea and the Workers' Party Revolution. The Mass Games are held in Pyongyang at various venues (varying according to the scale of the Games in a particular year) including the May Day Stadium.
Grand People's Palace of Studies
Culture is officially protected by the North Korean government. Large buildings committed to culture have been built, such as the People's Palace of Culture or the Grand People's Palace of Studies, both in Pyongyang. Outside the capital, there's a major theatre in
Hamhung and in every city there are State-run theatres and stadiums.
Hamhung Theatre, the largest in North Korea.
Korean culture came under attack during the
Japanese rule from 1910-1945. Japan enforced a
cultural assimilation policy. Koreans were forced to learn and speak Japanese, adopt the Japanese family name system and
Shinto religion, and forbidden to write or speak the Korean language in schools, businesses, or public places.
[52] In addition, the Japanese altered or destroyed various Korean monuments including
Gyeongbok Palace and documents which portrayed the Japanese in a negative light were revised. This methodical alteration process was done by the
Editing Agency of Korean History.
In July 2004, the
Complex of Goguryeo Tombs became the first site in the country to be included into the
UNESCO list of
World Heritage Sites.
Administrative divisions
Main articles: Administrative divisions of North Korea,
Cities of North Korea
North Korea is divided into nine
provinces, three
special regions, and two directly-governed cities (''chikhalsi'', 직할시, 直轄市):
Administrative map of North Korea.
Major cities
See also
★
List of Korea-related topics
★
Korean War
Notes and references
1. Administrative Divisions and Population Figures (#26)
2. Korea, North North Korea itself does not disclose figures.
3. Country Profile: North Korea
4. Establishment of the Republic of Korea Korean Embassy
5. Text of the Korean War Armistice Agreement
6. Prospects for trade with an integrated Korean market United States Department of Agriculture
7. China in Transition Kwan, Chi Hung
8. An Antidote to disinformation about North Korea Olson, Al
9. North Korea Agriculture Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress
10. Other Industry - North Korean Targets Federation of American Scientists
11. North Korea’s Military Strategy Hodge, Homer T.
12. DPRK's Socialist Constitution (Full Text) 10th Supreme People's Assembly.
13. Our Issues, North Korea Amnesty International
14. Grotesque indifference Seok, Kay
15. The Hidden Gulag: Exposing North Korea’s Prison Camps - Prisoners’ Testimonies and Satellite Photographs Hawk, David
16. North-South Joint Declaration
17. Interview - Madeleine Albright Bury, Chris
18. S. Korea to cut 40,000 troops by 2008 Xinhua
19. North Korea: Six-Party Talks Continue Oberdorfer, Don
20. Kim Yong Nam Visits 3 ASEAN Nations To Strengthen Traditional Ties
21.
Report: N. Korea building fence to keep people in
22. Background Note: North Korea Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
23. Army personnel (per capita) by country
24. North Korea has perhaps the world's second-largest special operations force (estimated at 100,000 as of 2002),[ Capability Analysis of North Korean Special Forces Fujimoto, Masashi ]
25. US confirms nuclear claim
26. US says Test points to N. Korea nuclear blast
27. Post-election push on N Korea
28. Q&A: N Korea nuclear stand-off
29. Korea Geography Caraway, Bill
30. North Korea - Climate Federal Research Division of the US Library of Congress
31. "Emergency appeal for DPRK flood survivors", website of the Red Cross
32. Research Library: Korea, South
33. North Korea - Agriculture Federal Research Division of the US Library of Congress
34. Famine may have killed 2 million in North Korea Lee, May
35. Asia-Pacific : North Korea
36. US Has Put Food Aid for North Korea on Hold Solomon, Jay
37. Report on U.S. Humanitarian assistance to North Koreans
38. North Korea: Ending Food Aid Would Deepen Hunger
39. China's N.K. policy unlikely to change Nam, Sung-wook
40. Fourth round of Six-Party Talks
41. S. Korea Suspends Food Aid to North Faiola, Anthony
42. North Korea to Let Capitalism Loose in Investment Zone French, Howard W.
43. Chinese Cell Phone Breaches North Korean Hermit Kingdom MacKinnon, Rebecca
44. North Korea recalls mobile phones
45. N Korean heroin ship sunk by jet
46. Human Rights in North Korea
47. Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
48. N Korea stages Mass for Pope
49. North Korean Religion
50. http://sb.od.org/index.php?supp_page=wwl_top_ten&supp_lang=en
51. Korea Report 2002
52. A Country Study: North Korea, , Bruce G., Cumings, Library of Congress, , Call number DS932 .N662 1994
Further reading
★
Jasper Becker,
Rogue Regime: Kim Jong Il and the Looming Threat of North Korea, Oxford University Press (2005), hardcover, 328 pages, ISBN 13: 9780195170443
★
Gordon Cucullu, ''Separated At Birth: How North Korea Became The Evil Twin'', Globe Pequot Press (2004), hardcover, 307 pages, ISBN 1-59228-591-0
★ Bruce Cumings,
Korea's Place in the Sun: A Modern History,
W.W. Norton & Company, 1998, paperback, 527 pages, ISBN 0-393-31681-5
★ Bruce Cumings,
Origins of the Korean War (Vol. 1): Liberation and the Emergence of Separate Regimes 1945-1947,
Princeton University Press, 1981, paperback, ISBN 0-691-10113-2
★ Bruce Cumings,
Origins of the Korean War (Vol. 2): The Roaring of the Cataract 1947-1950,
Cornell University Press, 2004, hardcover, ISBN 89-7696-613-9
★ Bruce Cumings,
North Korea: Another Country,
New Press, 2004, paperback, ISBN 1-56584-940-X
★ Bruce Cumings,
Living Through The Forgotten War: Portrait Of Korea,
Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies, 2004, paperback, ISBN 0-9729704-0-1
★ Bruce Cumings,
Inventing the Axis of Evil: The Truth About North Korea, Iran, and Syria,
New Press, 2006, paperback, ISBN 1-59558-038-7
★ Delisle, Guy,
Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea,
Drawn & Quarterly Books, 2005, hardcover, 176 pages, ISBN 1-896597-89-0
★ Nick Eberstadt, aka Nicholas Eberstadt, ''The End of North Korea'', American Enterprise Institute Press (1999), hardcover, 191 pages, ISBN 0-8447-4087-X
★ John Feffer,
North Korea South Korea: U.S. Policy at a Time of Crisis,
Seven Stories Press, 2003, paperback, 197 pages, ISBN 1-58322-603-6
★ Michael Harrold,
Comrades and Strangers: Behind the Closed Doors of North Korea, Wiley Publishing, 2004, paperback, 432 pages, ISBN 0-470-86976-3
★ Helen-Louise Hunter, ''Kim Il-song's North Korea.'' Praeger, 1999. ISBN 0-275-96296-2.
★
The Aquariums of Pyongyang, Kang, Chol-Hwan, , , Basic Books, 2001, 2001, ISBN 0-465-01102-0
★ Mitchell B. Lerner,
The Pueblo Incident: A Spy Ship and the Failure of American Foreign Policy, University Press of Kansas, 2002, hardcover, 408 pages, ISBN 0-7006-1171-1
★ Bradley Martin, ''Under The Loving Care Of The Fatherly Leader: North Korea And The Kim Dynasty'', St. Martins (October, 2004), hardcover, 868 pages, ISBN 0-312-32221-6
★ Oberdorfer, Don.
The two Koreas : a contemporary history. Addison-Wesley, 1997, 472 pages, ISBN 0-201-40927-5
★ Kong Dan Oh, and Ralph C. Hassig, ''North Korea Through the Looking Glass'', The Brookings Institution, 2000, paperback, 216 pages, ISBN 0-8157-6435-9
★ Quinones, Dr. C. Kenneth, and Joseph Tragert, ''The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding North Korea'', Alpha Books, 2004, paperback, 448 pages, ISBN 1-59257-169-7
★ Sigal, Leon V., ''Disarming Strangers: Nuclear Diplomacy with North Korea'',
Princeton University Press, 199, 336 pages, ISBN 0-691-05797-4
★ Chris Springer, ''Pyongyang: The Hidden History of the North Korean Capital.'' Saranda Books, 2003. ISBN 963-00-8104-0.
★ Vladimir, ''Cyber North Korea'', Byakuya Shobo, 2003, paperback, 223 pages, ISBN 4-89367-881-7
★ Norbert Vollertsen,
Inside North Korea: Diary of a Mad Place, Encounter Books, 2003, hardcover, 280 pages, ISBN 1-893554-87-2
★ Wahn Kihl, Y. (1983) "North Korea in 1983: Transforming "The Hermit Kingdom"?" ''Asian Survey'', Vol. 24, No. 1: pp100-111
★ Robert Willoughby, ''North Korea: The Bradt Travel Guide.'' Globe Pequot, 2003. ISBN 1-84162-074-2.
★ Hyun Hee Kim, "The Tears of My Soul", William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1993, hardcover, 183 pages, ISBN 0-688-12833-5
External links
Government-sponsored sources
★
Official Presence of the DPR Korea including the
Korean Friendship Association
★
Naenara - ("My country") DPRK's Official Web Portal run by Korea Computer Company
★
The Korean Central News Agency The DPRK's news service - hosted in Japan
★
★
North Korea International Documentation Project - Documents on North Korea
News sources
★
BBC News - "Country Profile: North Korea"
★
Pyongyang Watch, an archive of Asia Times articles
★
Another Korea - Background stories on North Korea
★
Daily NK - North Korea focused daily online newspaper
Documentaries
★
Kim's Nuclear Gamble - PBS ''Frontline'' Documentary (Video & Transcript)
★ ''
Seoul Train'' Documentary on North Koreans Trying to escape via China 2004
★
The Hermit Kingdom Dan Rather 60 Minutes 02/06
★
''A State of Mind'' Documentary by the BBC following two young North Korean gymnasts training for the
mass games (2004)
★ ''
National Geographic: Explorer'' Documentary by National Geographic about an eye doctor from Nepal who goes to North Korea to operate on cataract patients (also has undercover footage of North Korea in general)
Human rights links
★
[1] ' A report on
human rights and prisons in N. Korea.
★
Liberty in North Korea: Advocate for human rights, political and religious freedom, and humanitarian aid for North Korea
Weblogs
★
One Free Korea: Updated daily; focusing on human rights, political, economic, and military issues, often with Google-Earth tours of North Korea's most secret places
★
DPRK Studies: Current analysis, commentary, and news on North Korea’s security, social, and political issues; North Korean Studies
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NK Zone: Includes a variety of perspectives, with a greater focus on cultural and economic issues
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RU NK: Focusing primarily on human rights issues, by a member of Liberty in North Korea
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NK Econ Watch: Focusing mainly on economic issues
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News of North Korea: news about North Korean refugees and the situation inside of the country
Photo logs
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Visitor account of North Korea
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North Korea - photos from TripAdvisor.ru
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Artemii Lebedev's photographs of North Korea with commentary
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BBC News - ''In pictures: Unseen North Korea''
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Pictures from North Korea
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36 everyday photographs of North Korea by Reinhard Krause of Reuters
Reunification
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Kim Il Sung: 10 Point programme for reunification of the country
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"Korean Friendship Association" - Unification - recognized by DPRK
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Ministry of Unification - South Korea
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International Liaison Committee for Reunification and Peace in Korea (CILRECO) - France
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"Korea is one" - Belgian-Korean Friendship Association
Miscellaneous
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''North Korea: A Reporter's Notebook'' — Luis Ramirez (
Voice of America)
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"A Year in Pyongyang", by Andrew Holloway, 1988.
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Pyongyang Metro System Unofficial Web Site - Examining a suspected underground military installation
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"Beyond the 38th Parallel", by Matt Sparrow, 2001.
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