North Korea has a centralized government under the rigid control of the communist Korean Workers' Party[?] (KWP), to which all government officials belong. A few minor political parties are allowed to exist in name only. Kim Il Sung ruled North Korea from 1948 until his death in July 1994. Kim served both as Secretary General of the KWP and as President of North Korea.
Little is known about the actual lines of power and authority in the North Korean Government despite the formal structure set forth in the constitution. Following the death of Kim Il Sung, his son--Kim Jong Il--was named General Secretary of the Korean Workers' Party in October 1997, and in September 1998, the SPA reconfirmed Kim Jong Il as Chairman of the National Defense Commission and declared that position as the "highest office of state." North Korea's 1972 constitution was amended in late 1992. The government is led by the president and, in theory, a super cabinet called the Central People's Committee[?] (CPC).
The constitution designates the CPC as the government's top policymaking body. It is headed by the president, who also nominates the other committee members. The CPC makes policy decisions and supervises the cabinet, or State Administration Council[?] (SAC). The SAC is headed by a premier and is the dominant administrative and executive agency.
Officially, the legislature, the Supreme People's Assembly, is the highest organ of state power. Its members are elected every 4 years. Usually only two meetings are held annually, each lasting a few days. A standing committee elected by the SPA performs legislative functions when the Assembly isn't in session. In reality, the Assembly serves only to ratify decisions made by the ruling KWP.
North Korea's judiciary is "accountable" to the SPA and the president. The SPA's standing committee also appoints judges to the highest court for 4-year terms that are concurrent with those of the Assembly.
Administratively, North Korea is divided into nine provinces and four provincial-level municipalities--Pyongyang, Chongjin[?], Nampo[?], and Kaesong[?]. It also appears to be divided into nine military districts.
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:
none
note:
the North Koreans generally use the term "Choson" to refer to their country
abbreviation:
DPRK
Data code: KN
Government type: authoritarian socialist; one-man dictatorship
Capital: P'yŏngyang
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 3 special cities* (si, singular and plural); Chagang-do (Chagang Province), Hamgyong-bukto (North Hamgyong Province), Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong Province), Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae Province), Hwanghae-namdo (South Hwanghae Province), Kaesong-si* (Kaesong City), Kangwon-do (Kangwon Province), Namp'o-si* (Namp'o City), P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan Province), P'yongan-namdo (South P'yongan Province), P'yongyang-si* (P'yongyang City), Yanggang-do (Yanggang Province)
Independence:
9 September 1948, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Foundation Day
note:
15 August 1945, date of independence from the Japanese and celebrated in North Korea as National Liberation Day
National holiday: Foundation Day, 9 September (1948)
Constitution: adopted 1948, completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in April 1992 and September 1998
Legal system: based on German civil law system with Japanese influences and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal; nominal (North Korea is a dictatorship)
Executive branch:
chief of state:
KIM Chong-il (since NA July 1994); note - in September 1998, KIM Chong-il was reelected Chairman of the National Defense Commission, a position accorded the nation's "highest administrative authority"; KIM Young-nam was named President of the Supreme People's Assembly Presidium and given the responsibility of representing the state and receiving diplomatic credentials
head of government:
Premier HONG Song-nam (since 5 September 1998)
cabinet:
Cabinet (Naegak), members, except for the Minister of People's Armed Forces, are appointed by the Supreme People's Assembly
elections:
premier elected by the Supreme People's Assembly; election last held NA 1998 (next to be held NA)
election results:
HONG Song-nam elected premier; percent of Supreme People's Assembly vote - NA
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 26 July 1998 (next to be held NA 2003)
election results:
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - the KWP approves a single list of candidates who are elected without opposition; minor parties hold a few seats
Judicial branch: Central Court, judges are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly
Political parties and leaders: Chondoist Chongu Party [YU Mi-yong, chairwoman]; Korean Social Democratic Party [KIM Pyong-sik, chairman]; major party - Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Chong-il, General Secretary]
International organization participation: ESCAP, FAO, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note - North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, headed by YI Hyong-chol
Diplomatic representation from the US: none (Swedish Embassy in P'yongyang represents the US as consular protecting power)
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
- See also : North Korea
Common misspelling and questions (FAQ)
olitics-of-north-korea plitics-of-north-korea poitics-of-north-korea poltics-of-north-korea poliics-of-north-korea politcs-of-north-korea politis-of-north-korea politic-of-north-korea politicsof-north-korea politics-f-north-korea politics-o-north-korea politics-ofnorth-korea politics-of-orth-korea politics-of-nrth-korea politics-of-noth-korea politics-of-norh-korea politics-of-nort-korea politics-of-northkorea politics-of-north-orea politics-of-north-krea politics-of-north-koea politics-of-north-kora politics-of-north-kore oplitics-of-north-korea ploitics-of-north-korea poiltics-of-north-korea poltiics-of-north-korea poliitcs-of-north-korea politcis-of-north-korea politisc-of-north-korea politic-sof-north-korea politicso-f-north-korea politics-fo-north-korea politics-o-fnorth-korea politics-ofn-orth-korea politics-of-onrth-korea politics-of-nroth-korea politics-of-notrh-korea politics-of-norht-korea politics-of-nort-hkorea politics-of-northk-orea politics-of-north-okrea politics-of-north-kroea politics-of-north-koera politics-of-north-korae politics-of-north-kore ppolitics-of-north-korea poolitics-of-north-korea pollitics-of-north-korea poliitics-of-north-korea polittics-of-north-korea politiics-of-north-korea politiccs-of-north-korea politicss-of-north-korea politics--of-north-korea politics-oof-north-korea politics-off-north-korea politics-of--north-korea politics-of-nnorth-korea politics-of-noorth-korea politics-of-norrth-korea politics-of-nortth-korea politics-of-northh-korea politics-of-north--korea politics-of-north-kkorea politics-of-north-koorea politics-of-north-korrea politics-of-north-koreea politics-of-north-koreaa 0olitics-of-north-korea oolitics-of-north-korea lolitics-of-north-korea -olitics-of-north-korea ;olitics-of-north-korea -olitics-of-north-korea [olitics-of-north-korea ;olitics-of-north-korea p9litics-of-north-korea pilitics-of-north-korea pklitics-of-north-korea p0litics-of-north-korea pllitics-of-north-korea p0litics-of-north-korea pplitics-of-north-korea pllitics-of-north-korea pooitics-of-north-korea pokitics-of-north-korea po,itics-of-north-korea popitics-of-north-korea po.itics-of-north-korea popitics-of-north-korea po;itics-of-north-korea po.itics-of-north-korea pol8tics-of-north-korea polutics-of-north-korea poljtics-of-north-korea pol9tics-of-north-korea polktics-of-north-korea pol9tics-of-north-korea polotics-of-north-korea polktics-of-north-korea poli5ics-of-north-korea polirics-of-north-korea polifics-of-north-korea poli6ics-of-north-korea poligics-of-north-korea poli6ics-of-north-korea poliyics-of-north-korea poligics-of-north-korea polit8cs-of-north-korea politucs-of-north-korea politjcs-of-north-korea polit9cs-of-north-korea politkcs-of-north-korea polit9cs-of-north-korea politocs-of-north-korea politkcs-of-north-korea politids-of-north-korea politixs-of-north-korea politifs-of-north-korea politifs-of-north-korea politivs-of-north-korea politicw-of-north-korea politica-of-north-korea politicz-of-north-korea politice-of-north-korea politicx-of-north-korea politice-of-north-korea politicd-of-north-korea politicx-of-north-korea politics0of-north-korea politicspof-north-korea politics[of-north-korea politics-9f-north-korea politics-if-north-korea politics-kf-north-korea politics-0f-north-korea politics-lf-north-korea politics-0f-north-korea politics-pf-north-korea politics-lf-north-korea politics-or-north-korea politics-od-north-korea politics-oc-north-korea politics-ot-north-korea politics-ov-north-korea politics-ot-north-korea politics-og-north-korea politics-ov-north-korea politics-of0north-korea politics-ofpnorth-korea politics-of[north-korea politics-of-horth-korea politics-of-borth-korea politics-of-jorth-korea politics-of-jorth-korea politics-of-morth-korea politics-of-n9rth-korea politics-of-nirth-korea politics-of-nkrth-korea politics-of-n0rth-korea politics-of-nlrth-korea politics-of-n0rth-korea politics-of-nprth-korea politics-of-nlrth-korea politics-of-no4th-korea politics-of-noeth-korea politics-of-nodth-korea politics-of-no5th-korea politics-of-nofth-korea politics-of-no5th-korea politics-of-notth-korea politics-of-nofth-korea politics-of-nor5h-korea politics-of-norrh-korea politics-of-norfh-korea politics-of-nor6h-korea politics-of-norgh-korea politics-of-nor6h-korea politics-of-noryh-korea politics-of-norgh-korea politics-of-norty-korea politics-of-nortg-korea politics-of-nortb-korea politics-of-nortu-korea politics-of-nortn-korea politics-of-nortu-korea politics-of-nortj-korea politics-of-nortn-korea politics-of-north0korea politics-of-northpkorea politics-of-north[korea politics-of-north-iorea politics-of-north-jorea politics-of-north-morea politics-of-north-oorea politics-of-north-,orea politics-of-north-oorea politics-of-north-lorea politics-of-north-,orea politics-of-north-k9rea politics-of-north-kirea politics-of-north-kkrea politics-of-north-k0rea politics-of-north-klrea politics-of-north-k0rea politics-of-north-kprea politics-of-north-klrea politics-of-north-ko4ea politics-of-north-koeea politics-of-north-kodea politics-of-north-ko5ea politics-of-north-kofea politics-of-north-ko5ea politics-of-north-kotea politics-of-north-kofea politics-of-north-kor3a politics-of-north-korwa politics-of-north-korsa politics-of-north-kor4a politics-of-north-korda politics-of-north-kor4a politics-of-north-korra politics-of-north-korda politics-of-north-koreq politics-of-north-korew politics-of-north-korez politics-of-north-korew politics-of-north-kores politics-of-north-korez polytics-of-north-korea politics-of-north-korae poliyics-of-north-korea polityics-of-north-korea politics-of-north-koreasFroude's Progress) would have been 'a propos' for him, as well as the reluctant if not the niggard nature of his muse. He money, but actually if not literally he could not do more. When it came became a stern, rigorous, exacting self-master, who spared himself of literary men like Goldsmith and De Quincey, and Sterne and Steele, in world he was one of the most duteous and exemplary citizens. There.