North Korea

At a glance Land People Economy Achievements and challenges Links with Australia North Korea at a glance Did you know? The world’s tallest flagpole is in North Korea. It is 160metres tall, and the North Korean flag flown at its top weighs 136 kilograms. Region Northeast Asia Population 23,479,088 (2008 estimate) Land Geography: Mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys; wide coastal plains in the west. Climate: Temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer People Religion: Traditionally Buddhist and Confucian Language: Korean Economy GDP per person (PPP): $US 1,700 GDP by sector: Agriculture 37%; Industry and services 63% Government Nominal republic - Communist state one-man dictatorship   Land Physical geography North Korea occupies the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. It shares boundaries with China, Russia and South Korea. North and South Korea are separated by the 4 kilometre-wide Korean Demilitarised Zone. North Korea’s terrain consists of a series of medium-sized mountain ranges and large hills, separated by deep, narrow valleys. The highest peak (Paektu-san) is 2,744 metres high and is located on the northern border with China. Along the west coast there are wide coastal plains, while along the eastern Sea of Japan coastline, narrow plains rise into mountains. Dozens of small islands are dotted along the western coastline. North Korea’s total land area is 120,410 square kilometres, about half the size of Victoria (227,416 square kilometres). Climate North Korea has a continental climate, featuring four distinct seasons. Winters are long and bitterly cold and tend to be dry, while summers are brief, hot (especially in the central and southern regions), wet and humid. In the late spring, North Korea often experiences droughts followed by severe flooding. There is usually at least one typhoon every summer. Environment Current environmental issues include air and water pollution brought about by inadequate controls over industry, inadequate supplies of clean drinking water, and problems brought about by deforestation, including erosion and soil degradation. North Korea is home to several critically endangered species, including the Amur leopard, the Asiatic black bear and the Siberian tiger. The government has joined forces with the World Wide Fund for Nature to conserve these rare creatures. People The population of North Korea is concentrated on the coastal plains, while the mountainous interior remains isolated and sparsely populated. About 60% of the people live in urban areas. The largest cities are the capital, Pyongyang (3.8 million), Hamhung (874,000) and Sinuiju (352,000). People Culture and identity North Korea is largely a homogenous society of Koreans. Some traditional festivals are celebrated during the year. The most important is Chuseok, the Harvest Moon Festival, when respects are paid to ancestors, weeds are cleared from their graves and people take part in games and dances. Seol-nal, or Lunar New Year, is when people make pilgrimages back to their hometowns. There are also festivals such as the Mass Games that celebrate the life and accomplishments of North Korea’s leader. The two blue stripes on the flag of North Korea stand for the people’s desire for unity and independence; the middle red stripe symbolises the revolutionary spirit, and the white stripes represent purity. The five-pointed red star signifies links with Communism and a positive future. The white disc suggests the t'aeguk, the yin and yang symbol. Health North Korea has a free and extensive health care system, but the quality of care is extremely low due to outdated skills and shortage of drugs. Rates of chronic malnutrition and underweight among children are high. Water and sanitation facilities are limited. The infant mortality rate is 21.86 deaths for every 1000 live births. There is a strong emphasis on herbal medicines and also physical exercise. Group gymnastics are considered an art form as well as a form of discipline and physical education. Religion and beliefs North Korea is an old-style Communist state and religion does not have a strong official position. It is condoned but not encouraged. Traditionally, Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity and the local Cheondoism (Religion of the Heavenly Way) were followed. After the Korean War, North Korea adopted anti-religious policies although its constitution guarantees freedom of religious belief. The government has taken over many churches and temples for its own use. A cult of reverence for the country’s head of state has been promoted as a kind of replacement religion. Food and shelter Korean cuisine is regional but consists largely of cooked cereals, noodles, rice, tofu, vegetables and meat, eaten with spicy side dishes. Kimchi has become famous around the world. It is a mixture of garlic, ginger, onions, chillies, and cabbage (and/or other vegetables) which is fermented and served as an accompaniment to Korean meals. Traditional Korean food is generally low in fat, although sweets are appreciated and desserts such as chewy rice cakes are popular. The majority of people in North Korea live in urban areas in high-rise apartment blocks. Traditional Korean houses were for an extended family of three generations and had straw or tile roofs. The houses were heated by the ondol system: warm air and smoke from an exterior fireplace channelled through under-the-floor flues. Economy Wealth and poverty Decades of a rigid state-controlled system have led to the country’s economic stagnation. There is an estimated labour force of 20 million people but there are no figures available for rates of unemployment, household income or levels of poverty as North Korea does not publish such information. The estimated GDP per capita is $US1,700. Education and work There are eleven years of free, compulsory primary and secondary education and the country enjoys a 99% literacy rate. The education system is modelled largely upon that of the Soviet Union, with a high degree of political and ideological content. Education is seen as a ‘total experience’, encompassing extracurricular social education and work-study adult education as well as formal school education. Work freedoms are severely restricted in North Korea with the government regulating the economy through central planning. As the main source of employment, the government determines all wages. 37% of the labour force is engaged in agriculture and 63% is involved in industry and services. Industries and products Agricultural products include rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses, cattle, pigs, pork and eggs. However, production of many of these products is irregular because of adverse climatic conditions and infrastructure problems in recent years. Industries include the manufacture of military products, machine building, electric power, chemicals; mining (coal, iron ore, limestone, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals), metallurgy; and textiles. Trade North Korea exports minerals, metallurgical products, manufactured items (including armaments), textiles, agricultural and fishery products to China 31.4%, Venezuela 14.8%, Brazil 6.8%, and Lebanon 4.8%. Imports include petroleum, cooking coal, machinery and equipment, textiles and grain, and these products are imported from China 43.6%, Algeria 11.9%, Russia 7.1%, Thailand 5.6%, and South Africa 4.3%. Achievements and challenges There have been some goodwill gestures between the North and South Korean governments but relations between the two countries remain weak. The border between the two countries is the most heavily armed border in the world. However, government sanctioned reunions of families separated after the Korean War are occasionally permitted. The 4 kilometre-wide Demilitarised Zone between North and South Korea is uninhabited by humans and has become a nature reserve for endangered and threatened animals and plants. Both countries are cooperating to preserve the area’s rich bio-diversity. North Korea’s self-imposed isolation, lack of infrastructure development and unfortunate climatic disasters have led to drastic food shortages and starvation. There are also reports of human rights abuses – torture, public executions, slave labour, and forced abortions and infanticides. Links with Australia Although Australia has long recognised the two Korean states, diplomatic relations were not established until 1974 and have been suspended a number of times since then. Australia currently imposes sanctions following North Korea’s nuclear test in October 2006. Australia has continued to provide humanitarian assistance to the North Korea via UN and other multilateral agencies. Major concentrations of people of Korean background living in Australia are originally from South Korea. There are no figures for North Koreans living in Australia. Main Sources: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html http://www20.sbs.com.au/worldguide/index.php http://hdr.undp.org/ http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/index.html

A small village in the rural area just outside Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. Photographer: Marc Verin, Photolibrary.com/Photononstop. Used with permission