| Government | North Korea |
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Country name:
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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 |
Dependency status:
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void |
Government type:
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Communist state one-man dictatorship |
Capital:
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name: Pyongyang
geographic coordinates: 39 01 N, 125 45 E
time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Administrative divisions:
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9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 4 municipalities* (si, singular and plural); Chagang-do (Chagang), Hamgyong-bukto (North Hamgyong), Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong), Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae), Hwanghae-namdo (South Hwanghae), Kaesong-si (Kaesong)*, Kangwon-do (Kangwon), Najin Sonbong-si (Najin-Sonbong)*, Namp'o-si (Namp'o)*, P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan), P'yongan-namdo (South P'yongan), P'yongyang-si (Pyongyang)*, Yanggang-do (Yanggang) |
Dependent areas:
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void |
Independence:
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15 August 1945 (from Japan) |
National holiday:
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Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), 9 September (1948) |
Constitution:
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adopted 1948; completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in April 1992, and September 1998 |
Legal system:
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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 |
Suffrage:
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17 years of age; universal |
Executive branch:
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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 2003 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 RO Tu Chol (since 3 September 2003), Vice Premier THAE Jong Su (since 16 October 2007)
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 |
Legislative branch:
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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 |
Judicial branch:
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Central Court (judges are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly) |
Political parties and leaders:
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major party - Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Jong Il]; minor parties - Chondoist Chongu Party [RYU Mi Yong] (under KWP control), Social Democratic Party [KIM Yong Dae] (under KWP control) |
Political pressure groups and leaders:
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none |
International organization participation:
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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 |
Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none; North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York |
Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none; note - Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang represents the US as consular protecting power |
Flag description:
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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 |
Government - note:
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void |
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