Portal:North Korea

The North Korea Portal

Introduction

North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu (Amnok) and Tumen rivers, and South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea) to the south at the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The country's western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eastern border is defined by the Sea of Japan. Pyongyang is the capital and largest city.

The Korean Peninsula was first inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period. Its first kingdom was noted in Chinese records in the early 7th century BCE. Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea into Silla and Balhae in the late 7th century, Korea was ruled by the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) and the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). The succeeding Korean Empire (1897–1910) was annexed in 1910 into Japan. In 1945, after the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II, Korea was divided into two zones along the 38th parallel, with the north occupied by the Soviet Union and the south occupied by the United States.

In 1948, two separate governments were formed in Korea: the Soviet-aligned Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north, and the Western-aligned Republic of Korea in the south. The North Korean invasion of South Korea in 1950 started the Korean War. In 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement brought about a ceasefire and established a demilitarized zone (DMZ). Kim Il Sung, North Korea's first leader, consolidated power and promoted his personal philosophy of Juche as the state ideology. Pyongyang's international isolation sharply accelerated from the 1980s onwards as the Cold War came to an end. The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 then brought about a sharp decline to the North Korean economy. From 1994 to 1998, North Korea suffered a famine with the population continuing to suffer from malnutrition. In 2024, the DPRK formally abandoned efforts to reunify Korea.

North Korea is a totalitarian hereditary dictatorship with a comprehensive cult of personality around the Kim family. Amnesty International considers the country to have the worst human rights record in the world. Officially, North Korea is a communist state, and describes itself as a socialist state which holds democratic elections. However, outside observers have described the elections as unfair, uncompetitive, and pre-determined. The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) is the sole ruling party of North Korea, while Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism is the official ideology. The means of production are owned by the state through state-run enterprises and collectivized farms. Most services—such as healthcare, education, housing, and food production—are subsidized or state-funded. (Full article...)

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Craft beer at the Taedonggang Microbrewery No. 3 in Pyongyang

North Korea has at least ten major breweries and many microbreweries that supply a wide range of beer products. The top brand is the light lager Taedonggang by the state-owned Taedonggang Brewing Company.

The country's problems with goods distribution and power output have forced North Korean brewers to innovate. To minimize distribution, many restaurants and hotels maintain their own microbreweries. Because an unreliable power supply makes it difficult to refrigerate beer, North Koreans have developed their own steam beer, an originally American beer style brewed in higher than normal temperatures, that is widely available.

Although the Korean liquor soju is preferred, beer comes second when it comes to consumption. Since the 1980s, beer has been within reach of ordinary North Koreans, though it is still rationed. Tourists, on the other hand, enjoy inexpensive beer without such limitations. (Full article...)

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Monument to Party Founding, Pyongyang

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Did you know (auto-generated)

... that the North Korean propaganda song "Friendly Father" went viral on TikTok, with some users comparing it to songs by ABBA?
... that by 2010 Yi Kŭmch'ŏl had written approximately one-fifth of all North Korean science fiction literature?
... that a North Korean refugee became the "godfather of gangsta rap" by selling records at the Compton Swap Meet?
... that North Korea thanked the United States for helping its sailors defeat a group of pirates?
... that a senior colonel with 30 years' experience in North Korean intelligence agencies defected to South Korea in 2014?
... that North Korea built the 72-Hour Bridge after its troops killed two US soldiers for trimming a tree?

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More did you know

... that the Yalu River Broken Bridge, which connected China and North Korea, was built by Japan and destroyed by the United States?
... that Gambian politician Sirra Wally Ndow-Njie met with North Korean president of the Supreme People's Assembly Kim Yong-nam in 2010?
... that Jeong Haneul went from being a North Korean soldier to a South Korean YouTuber?
... that North Korean archaeological papers, inspired by the state ideology of Juche, often contain nationalist elements?

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The following are images from various North Korea-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Portraits of Kim Il Sung and his son and successor Kim Jong Il (from History of North Korea)
Image 2Kim and Moon meet at the DMZ in 2018 (from History of North Korea)
Image 32012 rehearsal in Pyongyang for Victory Day, marking the end of the war (from History of North Korea)
Image 4At the Pyongyang Embroidery Institute (from Culture of North Korea)
Image 5In August 1948, the 'People's Congress' was held in Haeju, Hwanghae Province. Paek Nam-un, Ho Hon, Pak Hon-yong, Hong Myong-hui (from History of North Korea)
Image 6The captured USS Pueblo being visited by tourists in Pyongyang (from History of North Korea)
Image 7The Hamhŭng Grand Theatre, one of the biggest in North Korea, was completed in 1984 in the city of Hamhŭng. (from Culture of North Korea)
Image 8Pyongyang in 1989 (from History of North Korea)
Image 9North Korean village in the Yalu River delta (from History of North Korea)
Image 10Lapel pins from North Korea (from Culture of North Korea)
Image 11Kim Il Sung and Zhou Enlai tour Beijing in 1958 (from History of North Korea)
Image 12Okryu-gwan (from Culture of North Korea)
Image 13A computer lab classroom in the Grand People's Study House, Pyongyang, 2012 (from History of North Korea)
Image 14Kim Il Sung with Kim Ku in 1948 (from History of North Korea)
Image 15From left to right: Pak Chang-ok, Li Jishen, Kim Tu-bong, Zhu De, Kim Il Sung, Averky Aristov, Pak Chŏng Ae and Choe Yong-gon in 1955 (from History of North Korea)
Image 16The incomplete Ryugyong Hotel in 2011. (from Culture of North Korea)
Image 17The Arch of Reunification, demolished 2024 (from History of North Korea)
Image 18Welcome celebration for the Red Army in Pyongyang on 14 October 1945 (from History of North Korea)
Image 19Up-close view of the Juche Tower and the accompanying monument to the Workers' Party of Korea (from History of North Korea)
Image 20Grand People's Study House (from Culture of North Korea)
Image 21US planes bombing Wonsan, North Korea, 1951 (from History of North Korea)
Image 22International Friendship Exhibition (from Culture of North Korea)

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North Korea topics

History	Korean independence movement \| Soviet Civil Administration \| Provisional People's Committee for North Korea \| Division of Korea \| Korean War \| Korean DMZ Conflict \| North Korean famine
Politics	Constitution \| Government (President · Premier) \| Leaders \| Kim dynasty \| Cabinet \| Supreme People's Assembly \| Judiciary \| Elections \| Political parties (Workers' Party of Korea · Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland) \| Juche \| Military \| National Defence Commission \| Nuclear weapons \| Human rights \| Foreign relations
Culture	Arirang Festival \| Education \| Holidays \| Literature \| Music \| Propaganda \| North–South differences in language \| Religion \| Sports
Art	Architecture \| Cinema \| Literature \| Music \| Opera
Economy	Currency \| Agriculture \| Automotive industry \| Energy \| Mining \| Teleсommunications \| Tourism \| Transportation (Pyongyang Metro)
Other	Demographics

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Things you can do

You are invited to participate in the North Korea working group of WikiProject Korea, a workgroup dedicated to developing and improving articles about North Korea.