Simple directory > Regional > North Korea

Official name: Chosun Minchu-chui Inmin Konghwa-guk (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) (DPRK) Head of State: Kim Jong-il formally assumed power and was elected General Secretary of the KWP in Oct 1997. In Sep 1998, his father, Kim il-Sung, who died in 1994, was named President of North Korea for life. Head of government: Prime Minister Pak Pong Ju (from 3 Sep 2003) Ruling party: Chosun Rodongdang (Korean Workers' Party) (KWP) Area: 122,400 square km Population: 22.69 million (2004) Capital: Pyongyang Official language: Korean Currency: Won (W) = 100 chon) Exchange rate: W900.00 per US$ (Nov 2004) (based on central bank dealing; floating exchange rate from mid-2003) GDP per capita: US$800 (2003) GDP real growth: 1.00% (2003) Labour force: 9.60 million (2003) Balance of trade: -US$472.00 million (2003) Foreign debt: US$12.00 billion (2003)

 

Historical profile
The northern kingdom of Koguryo (from which the modern 'Korea' is derived) achieved unification of the peninsula in the tenth century. In the thirteenth century, it was invaded and ruled by Mongolians. The Mongolians were eventually overthrown by the Ming dynasty who called the country 'Chosun'.

1910 Japan formalised its annexation of Korea after gaining responsibility for its security following victory in the Russo-Japanese war of 1905.

1919 Japan suppressed the mass March First movement for self-determination.

1930s–1940s Japan imposed measures designed to assimilate the Korean population, including the outlawing of the Korean language and family names. Korea suffered under military occupation but gained the benefits of forced industrialisation.

1945 Liberation at the hands of Allied forces was a prelude to partition of the peninsula as the victorious powers encouraged friendly governments north and south of the 38th parallel. The US occupied the south while the north was taken over by the Soviet Union. As the two powers did not wish to give independence to Korea, feeling that the Korean people needed political and social re-education, a line of demarcation was established.

1947 The Chosun Rodongdang (Korean Workers' Party) (KWP) was established by Kim il-Sung (known as the ‘Great Leader').

1948 The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was established as an independent communist state.

1950 North Korea, backed by Soviet and Chinese Communist forces, invaded South Korea. War ensued.

1954 A cease-fire treaty was agreed.

1972 A constitution was laid down.

1994 Kim il-Sung, who spent his last two decades in power, died. He was succeeded by his son Kim Jong-il (known as the ‘Dear Leader').

1995–96 Floods destroyed 16 per cent of arable land.

1997 Kim Jong-il formally assumed power. He was elected general secretary of the KWP.

1998 Kim il-Sung, who died in 1994, was named president of North Korea for life.

1999 The head of UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned of imminent famine.

2000 Australia, the Philippines and Italy restored diplomatic ties with North Korea. South Korea President Kim Dae-Jung visited Pyongyang and met Kim Jong-il in an unprecedented and much fêted meeting of the two Koreas' leaders. The then US secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, visited Kim Jong-iI. North Korea and the UK established diplomatic relations.

2001 An EU delegation held talks with Kim Jong-iI. Talks started by the US administration in 2000 were suspended. Talks on opening the first land route between the Republic of Korea and Korea DPR broke down. After the worst winter in 50 years and a summer drought harvests were devastated, the UN WFP called for over US$300 million in food aid.

2002 US President George W Bush included North Korea with Iran and Iraq in an 'axis of evil' due to their development of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). There were real developments in inter-Korean relations -- the two sides agreed to resume the engagement process after the South Korean envoy, Lim Dong-won visited North Korea. The accord included plans for economic co-operation, continuing family reunions and a revival of a cross-border railway project linking the two countries. At the height of the famine, UN estimates one-third of the population received food aid and half the population were malnurished.

2003 Talks were held in Beijing, China, between US and North Korean representatives, in order to try to persuade North Korea to end its nuclear arms programme. The 687 candidates chosen by the ruling KWP, standing unopposed, won 100 per cent of the votes each in the 3 August parliamentary elections to the National Assembly. On 3 September, Pak Pong Ju became premier. Harvests improved but 6.5 million people were still considered vulnerable, as food aid continued.

2004 In May, a train carrying explosive materials was ignited by a stray electric wire and at least 161 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured. South and North Korea agreed to open cross-border roads and to make test runs on two railways in October. Japan resumed its food aid in August.

2005 In May, fears about North Korea's missile and nuclear ambitions were revived when a short-range missile was test-fired in the general direction of Japan.

 

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