What countries does the DPRK border with? North Korea

The official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Located in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. Area 122.8 thousand km2, population approx. 23 million people (2002). The official language is Korean. The capital is Pyongyang (approx. 2 million people, 2002). Public holidays: April 15 - “Sun Day”, Kim Il Sung’s birthday; February 16 is Kim Jong Il's birthday; August 15 - Liberation Day (1945); September 9 - Republic Day (1948). The monetary unit is the won.

Member of more than 200 international organizations, incl. UN (1991), UNESCO, UNDP, FAO, WHO, etc.

Sights of the DPRK

Population of the DPRK

The DPRK does not publish statistical reports. Here and below the calculated data are given.

Population growth is 1.5% per year. As a result of natural disasters and crop failures in 1995-97, 1-2 million people died of starvation in the DPRK. According to international organizations, mortality, especially among children, is high. Average life expectancy has dropped sharply in recent years (from 72 to 58-60 years) due to the famine that struck the country in mid-century. 1990s The average life expectancy for men is 56 years, for women 62 years.

Persons under the age of 15 make up 30% of the population, 15-49 years old - approx. 50%, 50 years and older - approx. 20%. Men 49%, women 51%.

Urban population 40%, rural - 60%. Due to the deep crisis in the economy, part of the urban population (1 million people) was sent to rural areas.

Officially, retirement for women starts at 55 years old, for men at 60 years old.

Ethnic composition: Koreans. There are also 6 thousand Chinese living in the country. Language - Korean.

The constitutional norm declares freedom of conscience. However, the state does not allow the use of religion as “a means of penetration by external forces, disruption of state and public order.” Formally, the country has Buddhism, Christianity and Chondogyo - the religion of the “heavenly path”. There are Buddhist temples in Pyongyang and other regions of the country. Religious activities are strictly controlled by the authorities.

State structure and political system of the DPRK

According to the Constitution of the DPRK, it is “a sovereign socialist state representing the interests of the entire Korean people.” The DPRK is also a “revolutionary state.” The real power in the country is in the hands of the military. The highest authority is actually the State Defense Committee, headed by Kim Jong Il. The DPRK is a super-totalitarian state with an inherent system of the personality cult of Kim Jong Il.

The Constitution of 1972 is in force with important amendments and additions in 1992 and 1998. In particular, a new chapter “Defense of the Country” was introduced, the post of president, the Permanent Council of the Supreme People's Assembly, the Central People's Committee and the Administrative Council were abolished, the State Defense Committee was established, the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly was restored and the cabinet of ministers.

Administratively, the DPRK is divided into 9 provinces: Ryanggang, Chagang, North Hamgyong, South Hamgyong, North Pyongan, South Pyongan, North Hwanghae, South Hwanghae, Gangwon. Three cities of central subordination: Pyongyang, Kaesong, Nampo.

The largest cities: Pyongyang (capital), Wonsan, Sinuiju, Hamhung, Haeju, Chongjin.

The principle of public administration is democratic centralism. The highest legislative body is the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA). The highest body of executive power is the cabinet of ministers.

Head of state: according to the Constitution, he is the chairman of the presidium of the Supreme National Assembly, in reality the chairman of the State Defense Committee.

Chairman of the State Defense Committee - Kim Jong Il; Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme National Assembly - Kim Yong Nam, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers - Park Bong Ju.

The Constitution declares that elections to the Supreme National Assembly and local people's assemblies (provinces, cities and counties) are held on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot. In the DPRK, elections are formal.

Kim Il Sung (1912-94) - founder and permanent leader of the DPRK for almost 50 years. In the Constitution of the DPRK, Kim Il Sung is characterized as a “genius of ideas, theory and practice of leadership, an all-conquering, steely commander, a great revolutionary” and declared the “eternal president” of North Korea.

Kim Jong Il (born 1942) is the son of Kim Il Sung. Received the highest power in the country from his father. In North Korean propaganda he is called “the great commander”, “the beloved leader of the Korean people”.

Kim Jong Il has put forward a policy of building a “mighty power” and is pursuing a policy of “priority of the army” in order to mobilize society to preserve the existing regime.

According to the Constitution, the people's congresses of provinces, cities and counties (legislative bodies) and the corresponding people's committees (executive bodies) perform economic functions. In reality, management of economic activities is carried out by local bodies of the Defense Committee.

The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) has been the monopoly ruling party in the DPRK for almost 60 years. Number of members: 2.5 million. A total of 6 party congresses were held (the last one in 1980). The main function of the WPK is to implement the Juche ideology (“man is the master of everything”).

In addition to the WPK, the Social Democratic Party and the religious party Chondogyo-Chonudan (“Young Friends Party”) operate in the country. These parties fully support the policies of the WPK and do not play a significant role in the political system of the DPRK.

Major public organizations: United Trade Unions of Korea (UKK), Union of Agricultural Workers (UTSH), Kimirsen Socialist Youth Union (KSYU), Democratic Women's Union (UDW). The main task of public organizations is to perform the function of “drive belts”, i.e. ensuring communication between the WPK and the population, carrying out ideological and educational work based on the Juche ideology.

All parties and public organizations (more than 70 in total) are members of the United Democratic Fatherland Front (EDOPF). The focus of the EDOF's activities is the struggle for the peaceful unification of Korea based on the North Korean political platform - the formation of the Koryo Confederation.

The internal policy of the ruling regime is aimed at strengthening “Korean-style socialism”, building a “powerful state”, and turning the country into a “fortress”. A policy is being pursued towards the militarization of society, strengthening the indoctrination of the population in the spirit of the Juche ideas (“Jucheization”).

The basic principles of foreign policy are “independence, peace and friendship.” The DPRK maintains friendly relations with the PRC and has an alliance treaty with it. Develops good neighborly relations with the Russian Federation. In 2000, the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation was signed between the DPRK and the Russian Federation. Russian President V.V. Putin paid a visit to Pyongyang in 2000. North Korean leader Kim Jong Il visited Russia in 2001 and 2002.

The DPRK strives to normalize relations with the United States and advocates a bilateral dialogue with Washington in order to resolve the North Korean nuclear problem. In 2003, North Korea announced its withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the resumption of its military nuclear program.

Pyongyang insists on receiving firm guarantees of its own security from Washington in exchange for a cessation of military nuclear activities.

In recent years, the DPRK has noticeably expanded its foreign policy ties, establishing diplomatic relations with almost all Western European states and the EU in general. The DPRK maintains diplomatic relations with more than 150 countries of the world.

The armed forces of the DPRK number 1.2 million people. In service there are approx. 4 thousand tanks, more than 600 aircraft, 11 thousand guns, 800 SCAD-type missiles and 200 Nodon class ballistic missiles (flight range over 1000 km). The annual cost of maintaining a huge army accounts for more than 50% of the state budget.

In connection with the nuclear crisis that erupted in 2003, the DPRK officially announced that it intended to “strengthen independent nuclear deterrent forces as a measure of self-defense.”

Inter-Korean relations

For almost 60 years, the Korean Peninsula has been divided into two states - the DPRK and the ROK, which have created opposing socio-political and economic systems. The entire period of existence of the two Korean states was marked by acute military-political and ideological confrontation, a three-year bloody war of 1950-53.

In the beginning. 1970s The North and South began a dialogue that ended with the adoption of a Joint Statement (July 4, 1972), which determined the fundamental approaches of Pyongyang and Seoul to the unification of Korea, which must be achieved, firstly, independently, without interference from external forces, and secondly, peacefully and , thirdly, on the basis of national consolidation.

In the beginning. 1990s The DPRK and the ROK signed two important interstate documents - the Agreement on Reconciliation, Non-Aggression, Cooperation and Exchanges (December 13, 1991) and the Declaration on the Nuclear-Free Status of the Korean Peninsula (December 31, 1991). These documents de jure recorded the existence of two states on the Korean Peninsula and the principles of their relations as independent states.

Historical events in inter-Korean relations were the meeting of the leaders of the DPRK and the Republic of Korea, Kim Jong Il and Kim Dae Jung in June 2000 in Pyongyang and the Joint Declaration they signed (June 15, 2000), which reflected common approaches to the unification of the country, the development of political, economic and cultural connections between North and South. It was confirmed at the highest level that the unification of Korea. will be carried out by the Koreans themselves, peacefully and based on the rapprochement of the North Korean idea of ​​confederation and the South Korean concept of community.

The “warmth of the sun” policy pursued by President Kim Dae-jung towards the DPRK (involving North Korea in broad international cooperation and developing multilateral ties with it) was important for inter-Korean rapprochement.

In 1998-2002, political contacts were established between North and South, economic cooperation, trade, and humanitarian ties expanded. The DPRK and the Republic of Korea are implementing mutually beneficial projects: connecting the railways of the North and South with access to the Trans-Siberian Railway, the creation of a technology park in the Kaesong area, the Kumgangsan tourism project, etc. However, the inter-Korean dialogue cannot be called stable. From time to time, serious conflicts arise between the parties (military clashes of military vessels in the Yellow Sea in 1999 and 2002). The DPRK nuclear issue also has a negative impact on the dialogue. The government of President Roh Moo-hyun advocates continuing the policy of dialogue with the DPRK and for a peaceful political settlement of the North Korean nuclear problem.

Economy of the DPRK

North Korea has been experiencing an acute economic crisis over the past 10 years. GDP is 8-9 billion US dollars (at the end of the 1980s - 22 billion dollars); GDP per capita is less than $400. The country experiences an acute shortage of electricity, raw materials, various materials and equipment. Electricity production, according to expert estimates for 2002, is 12-13 billion kWh (in 1990-35), coal - 15 million tons (50), steel - 1.5 million tons (4.2), cement - 4, 0 million tons (7.6). Almost 80% of industrial enterprises are idle.

In 2002, the DPRK made an attempt to make adjustments to economic policy, introduce commodity-money relations, and reduce the scope of the distribution system. The wages of workers and employees were increased 15-20 times, and prices for industrial goods and services increased 30-50 times. Enterprise managers are given the right to vary workers' wages. Limited convertibility of the national currency has been introduced, and the exchange rate to the US dollar has approached the market rate. These changes are called in the DPRK not reforms, but “state measures” aimed at “strengthening and improving Korean socialism.”

Innovations, however, did not lead to positive changes either at the macro level or at the micro level. Inflation has increased noticeably (the official dollar to won exchange rate is 1:150, on the black market - 1:2000), unemployment has increased (more than 1 million people).

The economic policy of the DPRK leadership has always been based on the priority development of heavy industry to the detriment of light industry. At the session of the Supreme Council in March 2003, “national defense and the military-industrial complex,” as well as agriculture and light industry, were named as priorities.

In recent years, North Korea has been experiencing severe food shortages. Agricultural production does not exceed 4 million tons per year, including 1.8 million tons of rice. International humanitarian organizations annually supply up to 1 million tons of food to save the population of the DPRK from hunger. In the beginning. 2003 North Korea turned to the Republic of Korea with a request to urgently supply 400 thousand tons of grain in order to “extend” until the new harvest.

The main agricultural crop is rice, the production of which is decreasing year by year. Livestock farming is poorly developed. Potato plantings are expanding (“potato revolution”). Measures are being taken to develop sheep breeding, rabbit breeding and pond farming.

In conditions of severe crisis, the transport system operates with great disruption. In previous years, up to 90% of cargo transportation was carried out by rail (in the early 1990s, the length of railways was 8 thousand km). Currently, railway transport is in a deplorable state. The rail system is outdated; urgent modernization of electric and diesel locomotive systems, repair of railway bridges, etc. are required. An acute shortage of electricity disrupts the rhythm of railway transport.

In June 2003, the North and South carried out the joining of railways in the area of ​​the demilitarized zone. It is planned to begin movement along the trans-Korean road with access to the Trans-Siberian Railway (eastern route) and through Pyongyang - Sinuiju to China (western route).

Highways also require updating. In 2000, the Pyongyang Nampo Highway (57 km) was built. North and South China reached an agreement to connect both parts of the peninsula by highway.

The DPRK has convenient seaports on the western and eastern coasts - Nampo, Songnim, Haeju, Hamhung, Wonsong, Chongjin, Rajin. The port industry is outdated. Unloading and loading operations are carried out mainly manually. The port of Rajin (cargo handling volume is 2 million tons per year) is used at 50-60% of capacity.

Air transport is poorly developed. Domestic air lines operate irregularly. International air lines: Pyongyang - Beijing, Pyongyang - Vladivostok, Pyongyang - Khabarovsk.

Communication is at a low technical level. The process of computerization of North Korea is underway. There is computer communication within the country, but access to the Internet is blocked.

Domestic trade (wholesale and retail) is poorly developed. Until 2002, there was a strictly licensing procedure for market trade. Currently, a large number of markets are open in the country, and market trade in food and consumer goods is being established. The goods are mainly imported (from China). Private cafes and restaurants are allowed to open.

In the DPRK, tourist routes are organized to places of “revolutionary glory.” These places are mainly associated with the activities of North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. On the occasion of the birthday of the “great leader” (April 15) and the “great commander” (February 16), “loyalty marches” are organized to Mount Paektusan (on the border with China), where Kim Il Sung began the guerrilla struggle, and to the house in the partisan camp , located on the same mountain where Kim Jong Il was allegedly born.

Foreign tourism is handled by a specialized government organization. Tourist groups visit the DPRK mainly from China, the Russian Federation, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand. Pyongyang has a chain of hotels for foreign tourists. Special tour groups are organized for Koreans living abroad.

The DPRK and the Republic of Korea are implementing a joint tourism project “Kumgangsan”. More than half a million South Koreans have visited the Diamond Mountains.

The leading place in the financial system of the DPRK belongs to the state budget, which includes the central budget and local budgets. The main place in budget revenues is occupied by revenues from state-owned enterprises, turnover tax, income and other taxes, customs duties, and assistance from international organizations. Significant funds from the state budget (up to 50%) are allocated to defense and the development of the military-industrial complex.

After the liberalization of prices and wage increases in 2002, the standard of living of the population did not improve. The average salary in the country is 1,500 won ($10). The population is experiencing a shortage of food and consumer goods. The daily quota of rice (or corn for adults) is 400 g, for children even less.

North Korea maintains trade relations with more than 100 countries. The volume of trade turnover in 2002 amounted to $2.4 billion. The main foreign trade partners of the DPRK are South Korea ($642 billion), China ($550 million), Japan ($500 million), EU countries ($250 million) , Russian Federation ($130 million). The DPRK's exports are dominated by ferrous and non-ferrous metals, anthracite, and seafood; imports include oil and oil products, coking coal, chemical fertilizers, food.

The external debt of the DPRK, according to experts, amounts to 25 billion US dollars (2000), incl. RF - $8 billion, China - $4.5 billion.

Science and culture of the DPRK

A “truly popular and revolutionary culture” has been created in the DPRK. The ruling party is waging an uncompromising struggle “against the cultural expansion of imperialism” and for the establishment of a “new, socialist way of life” in all spheres.

The entire education system is aimed at instilling devotion to the “great commander,” his political course and the readiness to “defend the commander with his breasts.”

Since 1975, the DPRK has had a universal compulsory 11-year education (including one-year preschool). There are 10 thousand secondary schools, 450 technical schools, and more than 200 higher educational institutions in the country. In recent years, due to the acute economic crisis, government spending on education has decreased. The most prestigious universities are the State University named after. Kim Il Sung and the Polytechnic University. Kim Chaka.

The country has an Academy of Sciences (1952), there are academies of agricultural, medical, pedagogical sciences, and a whole network of scientific institutions. Not far from Pyongyang in the city of Pyeongsong there is an academic town where research institutes of various fields are concentrated. There is a nuclear research center in Nyongbyon, institutes of nuclear energy and radiology, etc.

Literary, theatrical, and musical activities in the country are carried out under the leadership of the ruling party through the Association of Literary and Artistic Workers and its member creative unions.

The creative intelligentsia of the DPRK (writers, poets, musicians) went through various political campaigns, “tempered in the struggle against formalism and ideological vagueness.” The largest ideological campaign in literature and art was the “movement for the establishment of a unified ideology of the party,” i.e. Juche ideas.

Kim Jong Il pays great attention to the ideological leadership of the development of literature and art. His speeches contain party guidelines for the affirmation of “classism and nationality” in artistic creativity.

In the DPRK, the method of “collective creativity” is widely used, when a group of authors writes novels and poems dedicated to Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. Cult themes prevail in all literary works (the novel “The Immortal History”, etc.).

In musical creativity, preference is given to “exemplary revolutionary operas” - “Sea of ​​Blood”, “Flower Girl”, “Tell Me, Taiga”, “Song of Kumgangsan”, “Loyal Daughter of the Party”.

Cult and revolutionary themes also predominate in cinema (“Star of Korea”, “Nation and Destiny”, etc.). More than 100 films are released in the country every year, incl. 50 art strips.

Fine art is devoted mainly to the activities of North Korean leaders. Exhibitions organized annually on the occasion of their birthdays are designed to reflect the “greatness” of the ideas and characters of the leaders of the DPRK, their “services” to the people.

Pyongyang annually hosts the April Spring International Arts Festival and the Non-Aligned States Film Festival.

Democratic People's Republic of Korea(Korean: 조선 민주주의 인민 공화국, 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國), DPRK, North Korea is a state in East Asia in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. It borders with China in the north, with Russia in the northeast. In the south it borders with the Republic of Korea and is separated from it by a demilitarized zone. From the west it is washed by the waters of the Yellow Sea, from the east by the Sea of ​​Japan. The capital is the city of Pyongyang.

The DPRK was founded on September 9, 1948 on the territory of the Soviet occupation zone as a people's democratic state after the proclamation of the Republic of Korea on August 15, 1948. The official ideology of the state is the Juche idea, which its creators, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, define as “a philosophical ideology that focuses on man.” Power belongs to the Workers' Party of Korea, headed by the Great Leader (official title) Kim Jong Il.

Geography of the DPRK

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is located in eastern Asia, in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. It has a land border with three countries: China along the Yalu River, Russia along the Tuman River and South Korea. In the west it is washed by the Yellow Sea and the Korean Gulf, and in the east by the Sea of ​​Japan.

Area of ​​the DPRK: 120,540 km² (land 120,410 km², water: 130 km²). The government of the DPRK has declared the country's territorial waters to be the water area adjacent to the coast within a 12-mile zone (22.224 km).

The territory of the DPRK is predominantly mountainous, cut by many valleys and ravines. Coastal plain areas are relatively large only in the western part of the country. The DPRK has many nature reserves, national parks, mountains and forests with clean rivers, waterfalls and high mountains.

Natural resources mined in the country include: coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesium, iron, copper, gold, pyrite, salt, fluorspar, etc.

North Korea has a monsoon climate with four distinct seasons. Winters are relatively dry and cold (average January temperatures in Pyongyang are −3 °C during the day and −13 °C at night), while summers are hot and humid (average August temperatures in Pyongyang are 29 °C during the day and 20 °C at night).

Administrative division

As of 2004, North Korea was divided into 9 provinces (To, Korean 도, 道), 2 directly subordinate cities (Chikhalsi, 직할시, 直轄市) and 3 special administrative regions. The capital is Pyongyang.

Major cities of the DPRK except Pyongyang:
Sinuiju (286,000)
Kaesong (352,000)
Nampo (467,000)
Chongjin (330,000)
Wonsan (340,000)
Sariwon (161,000)
Sunrim (159,000)
Hamhung (581,000)
Haeju (227,000)
Kange (208,000)
Hyesan (98,000)
Gimchaek (198,000)

Population

Koreans are a homogeneous nation. Although there are no large national communities in the DPRK, there are quite large Chinese (about 50,000 people) and small Japanese (about 1,800 people) minorities.

Population: 23,113,019 (2006 estimate).
Life expectancy (2009): all - 63 years (men - 61 years, women - 66 years)
Total fertility rate: 2.0 per woman (2009 same source)
Languages: Korean; literacy - 99%.

History of the DPRK

Until 1945, Korea was a colonial possession of Japan. After the end of World War II, the territory of Korea north of the 38th parallel was occupied by the Soviet Union, and to the south by the United States. The USSR and the USA failed to agree on the unification of the country, which led to the formation in 1948 of two different governments, northern (pro-Soviet) and southern (pro-American), each of which claimed control over all of Korea.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was formed on September 9, 1948 in response to the formation of the Republic of Korea in the southern Korean Peninsula. Political power has been monopolized by the WPK since the very first years of the DPRK's existence. A planned economy was established on the farm; Since approximately 1949, almost all industry, domestic and foreign trade has been under state control.

In 1950, tensions between the two Korean states led to the outbreak of the Korean War. On June 25, 1950, North Korean troops crossed the border with the Republic of Korea and invaded its territory. In the war, which lasted for three years, about 2.5 million Koreans died and more than 80% of the industrial and transport infrastructure of both countries was destroyed. The USA, Great Britain and a number of other countries (under the UN flag) took part in the war on the side of South Korea, and China on the side of the DPRK (the USSR also provided military assistance). The Korean War ended with an armistice in 1953.

As a result of industrialization, the country's population quickly recovered from the consequences of the war.

Politically, the DPRK's position worsened due to the rift between China and the USSR, which began in 1960.

In the 70s, the growth of the state's economy slowed down, and there was even a regression due to high oil prices after the 1974 oil crisis, a skew of the economy towards heavy industry and high expenses for the army. The DPRK could not reduce military spending [source not specified for 42 days], in addition, after Kim Il Sung’s words that both Koreas would be reunited during his lifetime, military spending only increased. In 1980, the DPRK economy defaulted, and until the end of the 80s, industrial production declined.

Kim Il Sung died in 1994 and was succeeded by his son, Kim Jong Il. During his reign, the country's economy continued to stagnate and remain isolated.

In July 2002, the start of reforms was announced. The country's currency was devalued, and prices for agricultural products were released in the hope of stimulating the country's agricultural market. It was decided to replace collective farming in the village with farms built on the family principle. The result has been an increase in foreign investment, with China alone investing $200 million in the country's economy in 2004.

In 2007, after the visit of the President of South Korea to the DPRK, North and South Korea jointly asked the UN to promote the unification of Korea.

State structure

The current Constitution of the DPRK was adopted on December 27, 1972, and amended on April 9, 1992 and September 5, 1998. Article 1 of the Constitution defines the DPRK as a sovereign socialist state representing the interests of the entire Korean people. According to the Constitution of the DPRK, power in the country belongs to the workers, peasants, working intelligentsia, and all working people.

Supreme People's Assembly (parliament)

The Supreme People's Assembly consists of 687 deputies elected on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot for 5 years (the elections are uncontested, it is officially announced that government candidates were supported by 100.0% of voters).

Voting rights from 17 years of age.

Political parties

The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) was founded in October 1945. The ruling party of the DPRK, its leadership role is enshrined in the Constitution.

Social Democratic Party of Korea, founded in November 1945. Recognizes the leading role of the Workers' Party of Korea and is a member of the EDOF.

The Cheondogyo-Chonudan Party (“Party of Young Friends of the Religion of the Heavenly Way”) was created in 1946. Recognizes the leading role of the Workers’ Party of Korea and is a member of the United Democratic Party of the United Kingdom.

The United Democratic Fatherland Front (EDOPF), created in 1949. The leading force of the EDOF is the TPK.

Executive branch

The government is the cabinet of ministers (Negak), whose members, with the exception of the Minister of the People's Army, are appointed by the Supreme People's Assembly. Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers - Kim Yong Il (since 2007)

State Defense Committee

It is the highest body of military power. After the death of Kim Il Sung, the chairman of the State Defense Committee since 1993, Kim Jong Il, became the de facto leader of the country.

Judicial branch

Central Court, members of the court are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly.

Political situation after the death of Kim Il Sung

The death of Kim Il Sung in 1994 coincided with many serious problems in the country, caused by large expenditures on the army (given the development of the nuclear missile program), the collapse of the socialist camp and the severance of traditional economic ties.

Despite the need to address these issues, three years passed after his father's death before Kim Jong Il took over.

As a result, Kim Jong Il never received the post of President of the DPRK. Instead, he became chairman of the State Defense Committee (GKO).

In 2000, Kim Jong Il, trying to bring North Korea out of international isolation, said that the DPRK was ready to abandon the program for creating intercontinental missiles in exchange for the world community's help in the development of North Korean astronautics - but two weeks later he turned his statement into a joke. Obviously, such an initiative was initially rejected by the collective leadership of the DPRK. Later, however, a severe economic crisis forced the North Korean leadership to return to their proposal.

The DPRK and the United States had already begun to discuss the possibility of a visit to Pyongyang by American President Bill Clinton, but in November 2000, George W. Bush won the US elections, declaring a crusade against the North Korean communist regime, and the dialogue broke off.

A number of media outlets regularly publish publications about the possible heir to Kim Jong Il. Among the possible candidates are his sons Kim Jong Nam, Kim Jong Chol (in the old transcription adopted in the former USSR - Kim Jong Cher) and Kim Jong Un, as well as his son-in-law Jang Song Thaek.

In March 2010, in the LiveJournal of the famous Korean scholar A. Lankov, confirmation of the appointment of Kim Jong Un (Kim Jong Un) as the official heir of Kim Jong Il appeared:

New and finally reliable confirmation has been received that the choice of an heir has been made, and the campaign for his elevation is gaining momentum. The youngest son of the current Leadership Genius, Kim Jong-un, has been appointed as the new Leadership Genius. Meetings in his honor were held throughout the country, and relevant materials, which were still formally closed, were published. There are materials in the press, which are open, but not subject to distribution abroad.

In the second half of the 1990s, in the DPRK, according to A. Lankov, there was a “quiet death of North Korean Stalinism.” The cessation of assistance from the USSR led to a large-scale economic crisis, primarily to a constant shortage of food (in the mid-1990s, mass famine claimed the lives of several hundred thousand residents of the DPRK, in connection with which small private enterprise and shuttle trade with China were legalized, which were actually canceled and many other restrictions.

In recent years, the positions of hardliners have strengthened in the DPRK. Economic reforms have slowed down or been curtailed, and North Korea has found a reason to refuse to participate in the six-party negotiations on the nuclear issue.

The official attitude towards South Korea began to change. Over the past decade, South Korean music and films have been semi-legally penetrating into the DPRK.

Culture

The DPRK has a developed film industry that produces films in the spirit of “socialist realism with Korean characteristics.” Animated films are also produced. It is alleged that North Korean animators often carry out orders for European and American studios.

All culture in the DPRK is controlled by the state.

Religion

North Korea is a secular state, the majority of the population are atheists. According to the Constitution of the DPRK, “citizens are guaranteed freedom of conscience” (Chapter 5, Article 68).

After the creation of the DPRK, the church was separated from the state. The new leadership of the country launched atheistic propaganda and a decisive fight against religion. There are two Orthodox churches in the DPRK, one Catholic and one Protestant, all of which are open only to foreigners.

Education

Since 1975, the DPRK has made a transition to universal compulsory 11-year education (including one-year preschool). There are up to 150 universities in the country, but the quality of education is generally low, since students work most of the time. In the field of higher and secondary specialized education, training in technical specialties predominates.

Healthcare

North Korea has public health care and a health insurance system. Health care costs account for about 3% of GDP. Since 1950, the country has paid great attention to healthcare, so between 1955 and 1986 the number of hospitals increased from 285 to 2401, the number of clinics - from 1020 to 5644. There are hospitals in factories and mines. Beginning in 1979, greater emphasis was placed on traditional Korean medicine based on herbal medicine and acupuncture.

The health care situation in North Korea has deteriorated sharply since 1990, as a result of natural disasters, economic problems and energy shortages. Many hospitals and clinics in the DPRK lack the necessary medicines and equipment, and there is also a shortage of electricity.

Almost 100% of the population has access to water, but it is not always potable. Infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria and hepatitis are endemic in the country. Average life expectancy in North Korea is 63.8 years, 170th in the world according to 2009 estimates.

Among other health problems, malnutrition is noted; according to a UN report from 1998, 60% of children suffer from malnutrition, and 16% of the country's population experiences acute malnutrition.

Economy

The country's economy is planned, command. Since the DPRK has not published any economic statistics since the early 1960s, all data on its economy are external expert estimates. A special feature is the isolation from the rest of the world, the presence of labor camps, etc. “work shifts” - during this time, vacations and weekends are canceled, workers live at enterprises, all production facilities work around the clock. The latter, apparently, are introduced only in the event of an aggravation of the internal political situation. For example, during the transfer of power. The last work shift began in 2009 and was supposed to last 150 days.

During the era of the USSR, the country's economy relied on Soviet assistance and the first post-war years (after the end of the Korean War of 1950-1953) developed quite dynamically. The rise in oil prices in 1974 had a negative impact on the country's development. In 1980, the country experienced a default, and throughout the 1980s the decline in production continued. With the collapse of the USSR, the negative trends generated by the 1980 default intensified and, including in connection with natural disasters, led to large-scale famine in the mid-90s. At the same time, the international community provided equally large-scale humanitarian assistance.

GDP growth since 2006 is estimated at 1% per year. The 2002 budget is $10.1 billion.

In agriculture, after the reforms of 2002, collective farms began to be reorganized into family-type enterprises. Collectivization took place in 1958. Due to the mountainous nature of the area, the country is experiencing tension in land resources. The total area of ​​agricultural land is just over 20% of the total territory, and arable land is only 16%. On average, there are 0.12 hectares of cultivated land per resident of the republic, which is 3-4 times less than in most European countries. The main branch of agriculture is crop production. 17% of the territory is cultivated, 2/3 of which is irrigated. They cultivate grains, soybeans, cotton, flax, tobacco, and sugar beets. Ginseng plantations. Vegetable growing. Fruit growing. Livestock: cattle, pigs, poultry. Sericulture. Fishing, seafood production. The share of agriculture in GDP is 30%. Most of the cultivated land is located in the south and west of the country, and it was these lands that were affected by floods in 1995-1996 and droughts in 1997 and 2000. In 2002, the country had a population of 48 thousand horses, 575 thousand heads of cattle, 2.6 million goats. In 2001, 200 thousand tons of fish were caught and 63,700 tons of other seafood were collected. Despite this, there has always been a shortage of food in the country.

There is a timber industry in the country. According to various estimates, in 2002, 7.1 million meters of round wood were harvested in the country.

The electric power industry is based on the use of the republic's rich hydropower resources, estimated at approximately 10 million kW, and solid fuels in the form of anthracite and brown coal. In 2001, the state district power station generated about 69% of the country's electricity, the rest was obtained by burning coal. In 2005, the country consumed 25,000 barrels of oil per day and produced only 138.

Large reserves of non-ferrous and alloying metal ores (copper, zinc, lead, nickel, tungsten, molybdenum, etc.). Export of non-ferrous metals is the most important source of foreign currency.

The oil refining, chemical, textile and food industries are developing. The share of industry in GDP in 2002 was 34%.

The DPRK produces locally assembled Fiat cars and jeeps, and the Sungri (Victory) automobile plant in Tokchon produces trucks.

North Korea maintains trade relations with more than 100 countries. The volume of trade turnover in 2002 amounted to $2.4 billion. The main foreign trade partners of the DPRK are South Korea ($642 million), China ($550 million), Japan ($500 million), EU countries ($250 million) , Russian Federation ($130 million). The DPRK's exports are dominated by ferrous and non-ferrous metals, anthracite, and seafood; Imports include oil and oil products, coking coal, chemical fertilizers, and food. The external debt of the DPRK, according to US estimates, is $25 billion (2000), including the Russian Federation - $8 billion, China - $4.5 billion.

In 2008, the foreign trade turnover of the PRC and the DPRK reached $2.8 billion. The trade surplus amounted to $1.3 billion in favor of the PRC.

The 2009 monetary reform was intended to strengthen the planned economic system and reduce the influence of the market. However, according to some reports, the reform led to a sharp increase in inflation and a shortage of essential goods. At the beginning of 2010, the chairman of the State Planning Committee of the DPRK, Pak Nam-ki, who was responsible for this reform, was fired, and in mid-March he was shot.

Transport

The transport network in North Korea is quite developed, but outdated. In 1990, the country had about 30,000 km of roads, of which only about 1,700 were paved. After natural disasters in the mid-90s, the road infrastructure was badly damaged, and now the total length of roads is 25,554 km, of which 724 kilometers are paved. The largest and best preserved highway from Pyongyang to Wonsan, about 200 km long. Rail transport is widespread. The railway network is 5,235 km long, of which 3,500 km are electrified. Due to the country's large coal reserves, steam locomotives continue to be used to transport goods and passengers. Many rivers passing through the territory of the DPRK are additional waterways. The total length of waterways is 2,250 km.

Major ports are the cities of Hamhung, Chongjin, Gimchek, Haeju and Nampo. The number of airports is 78, helipads are 23. The main air carrier Air Koryo is a state-owned company, with regular flights to Moscow, Beijing, Bangkok, Macau and Vladivostok. Urban transport is most developed in the capital of the country, where the population travels by trams, trolleybuses and metro. Due to fuel shortages, buses are rarely used. Cars are also rare, but bicycles have become the main mode of transportation for large sections of the population. However, women are also prohibited from this type of transport.

Tourism

The isolationist policy pursued by the North Korean government leads to the fact that international tourism in the country is poorly developed. Despite the fact that there are practically no restrictions on the entry of foreigners into the country, foreign tourists are prohibited from visiting places where there is no government security. Foreign tourists in North Korea are most attracted by the natural attractions and the “neo-Stalinist” atmosphere in the country. In 2000, almost 130,000 tourists visited the country.

South Korean citizens must obtain special permission from the South and North Korean governments to enter the country. At the beginning of the 21st century, the Kumgangsan Mountains region, located near the South Korean border, was approved as a special tourist zone where South Korean citizens do not require entry permission.

North Korea is a popular destination for Chinese tourists. This is due to the fact that entry into the country is significantly easier for Chinese citizens compared to citizens of other countries; in addition, North Korea has special casinos for foreigners (they are prohibited in China). Chinese tourists are also attracted by the cheapness of many goods in North Korea compared to China.

DPRK Army

North Korea is the most militarized country in the world. As of 2006, the DPRK army numbers 1,115 thousand people and is the fifth (according to other sources, fourth) largest in the world after at least China, the USA and India, and all this with a population in 2006 of 23 million people. and economic stagnation. There are about 7.7 million people in the reserve, 6.6 million of whom are members of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Guard. Recruitment upon conscription. The number of military branches is as follows: NE - approx. 1 million people (including 87 thousand special forces soldiers), Navy - 60 thousand people, Air Force - 110 thousand (including 7 thousand special forces soldiers). Paramilitary security forces, border guards and public law enforcement agencies number another 189 thousand people. North Korea spends 27% of ND on army maintenance.

The leadership of the armed forces and military development is carried out by the State Defense Committee of the DPRK, headed by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief - Marshal of the DPRK Kim Jong Il. The Chairman of the State Defense Committee of the DPRK commands and directs all the Armed Forces and is in charge of the defense of the country as a whole.

The service life of conscripts in the ground forces is 5-12 years. The main formations and formations of ground forces are the army, corps, division and brigade. The army does not have a permanent composition, but is deployed on the basis of army corps. The service life of a conscript in the Air Force and Air Defense is 3-4 years. The service life of a conscript in the navy is 5-10 years.

Since the mid-90s, the DPRK has almost completely satisfied the needs of its army for artillery and small arms and certain types of weapons and military equipment.

The organizational composition of the armed forces is as follows. The Ground Forces (GF) have 19 corps: 1 tank, 4 mechanized, 9 infantry, 1 artillery, Pyongyang Defense Command, Border Guard Command. These corps include 27 infantry divisions, 15 armored brigades, 9 MLRS brigades, 14 infantry brigades, 21 artillery brigades. Among other things, 87 thousand special forces soldiers in the Army are distributed among 10 sniper brigades, 12 light infantry brigades, 17 special forces brigades, 1 airborne battalion, and another 8 battalions are allocated to a separate special forces command. There are 40 infantry divisions in reserve. The naval forces (Navy), whose headquarters is located in Pyongyang, are organizationally divided into two fleets. East Sea Fleet (headquarters in T'oejo-dong) and West Sea Fleet (headquarters in Namp'o). The first has 9 naval bases, the second - 10.

The Air Force (AF) includes 4 commands (33 regiments), plus 3 separate battalions. Three commands are responsible for the northern, eastern and southern defensive sectors, the fourth - training - is responsible for the northeastern sector. The Air Force has 11 air bases, mainly in the region bordering South Korea, and several in the border region with China.

The bulk of the forces are deployed along the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone. According to estimates, the Korean People's Army has about 3,500 main battle (and medium) tanks, 560 light tanks, 2,500 units. armored personnel carriers and lightly armored vehicles, 3,500 barrels of towed artillery, 4,400 self-propelled guns, 2,500 MLRS, 7,500 mortars, 24 launchers of surface-to-surface missiles, an unknown number of ATGM launchers, 1,700 recoilless rifles, the ground forces have approximately 11,000 anti-aircraft guns.

The fleet includes 92 submarines, 3 frigates, 6 corvettes, 43 missile boats and MRKs, 158 patrol ships, 103 torpedo boats, 334 patrol boats, 10 landing ships, 2 coastal defense batteries, 130 hovercraft, 23 minesweeper, 1 floating base, 8 small vessels, 4 support vessels.

The Air Force has 80 bombers, 541 fighters and fighter-bombers, about 316 transport aircraft, 588 transport (multi-purpose) helicopters, 24 combat helicopters, 228 training aircraft, at least 1 UAV.

North Korea has military advisers in 12 African states.

The basis of the country's military doctrine is active defense.

Much attention is paid to the actions of reconnaissance and sabotage groups. The consolidation of this type of troops into large formations is a unique solution, typical only for North Korea.

North Korea nuclear program

In February 2005, North Korea for the first time openly announced the creation of nuclear weapons in the country. On October 9, 2006, the first nuclear explosion was carried out.

All key negotiations on the nuclear weapons program on behalf of the DPRK are conducted by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Kye Gwan.

On April 4, 2009, a new North Korean rocket with a communications satellite was launched. The rocket did not achieve its goal of launching a satellite into orbit; all stages, including the satellite, sank in the Pacific Ocean. This missile, according to experts, is intercontinental and is capable of reaching Alaska. Its launch greatly complicated the 6-party negotiations on the DPRK nuclear issue.

On May 25, 2009, North Korea conducted its second nuclear weapons test. The power, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, ranged from 10 to 20 kilotons.

Foreign policy of the DPRK

After the collapse of the USSR, contacts with this country isolated from the rest of the world weakened greatly. Only in 2000 did the first visit of the Russian head of state to Pyongyang take place. Then agreements were reached to intensify political contacts and develop measures to restore economic cooperation. In recent years, intergovernmental agreements have been signed on air services, on cultural cooperation, on the encouragement and mutual protection of investments, on the avoidance of double taxation, on mutual travel of citizens, on economic and technical cooperation; on cooperation in the forestry industry, in customs affairs, in the fight against crime and law enforcement, in the use of satellite navigation systems.

South Korea

August 16, 2004 - North Korea announced its refusal to participate in a meeting of the working group to prepare the next round of six-party talks to resolve the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula. This decision was prompted by the recent actions of South Korea, which brought 460 North Korean defectors to its territory from Vietnam. The DPRK reacted to this event very painfully, accusing the South Korean authorities of kidnapping North Korean citizens. South Korean intelligence, for its part, warned of the danger of acts of retaliation from the DPRK, advising South Koreans living or traveling to China and Southeast Asian countries, as well as activists of organizations helping North Korean refugees move outside the DPRK, to pay special attention to their safety.
At the beginning of 2009, there was another deterioration in inter-Korean relations. On January 30, 2009, the DPRK authorities announced the termination of all previously reached agreements with South Korea. Official statements said South Korea was guilty of a "continuous escalation of hostile acts."
In May 2009, North Korea conducts its second nuclear weapons test. On these same days, she announces her withdrawal from the ceasefire agreement with South Korea, concluded in 1953. In fact, this means the introduction of martial law with South Korea.
January 17, 2010 The head of North Korea, Kim Jong Il, announced the need to strengthen the Armed Forces of the state. He made this statement while attending joint military exercises of the country's ground forces, naval and air forces, the Associated Press reports, citing local media. Earlier, the State Defense Committee of the DPRK warned South Korea about the possibility of declaring a “holy war” against it and announced a complete cessation of dialogue between the two states. The harsh reaction from the North Korean side came after the Republic of Korea unveiled its emergency plan, which provides for a rapid offensive operation against the DPRK in case of “critical need.”

Japan

November 2004 - a decisive round of negotiations between the DPRK and Japan took place in Pyongyang for a week on the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean intelligence in the 1970s and 1980s. By this time, the DPRK had released five abductees and their family members. Previously, Kim Jong Il admitted that a total of 13 people were abducted, but the fate of the rest is unknown. Japan accuses North Korea of ​​unwillingness to disclose information about their fate and extradite them if they are still alive. All that the Japanese were able to get during the negotiations were seven containers with personal belongings and documents of the stolen people.
December 2004 - Japanese public opinion favors the introduction of sanctions in connection with the scandal surrounding the ashes transferred to Tokyo in November by North Korean authorities. DNA analysis of the remains showed that they did not belong to the Japanese girl Megumi Yokota, abducted in 1977 by the DPRK intelligence services, but to two other people who were not among the abducted Japanese.
On December 10, the Japanese Parliament called on the government to consider the issue of applying economic sanctions to the DPRK; as a first step, the government decided to stop providing food aid to the DPRK; the Japanese Parliament intensified the discussion of the issue of sanctions, which may include the closure of Japanese ports for North Korean ships, a ban on transfer to the DPRK of funds from Koreans living in Japan, etc.
June 27, 2009 - North Korea threatened to shoot down any Japanese aircraft in its space. “The Korean People's Army Air Force will not tolerate any manifestations of aerial espionage by warmongers in the Japanese aggressive forces and will mercilessly shoot down any aircraft that dares to invade the territorial airspace of the DPRK even by one thousandth of a millimeter,” the KCNA statement emphasizes.

Internet

The DPRK has its own first-level domain on the Internet.kp. In the northern part of the DPRK, there are already Internet cafes that allow access to the Internet (in 2007, the country's Ministry of Public Security ordered their closure). Currently, Internet access is closed to most residents of the DPRK. Internet access is provided for diplomatic facilities and individual foreign enterprises.

The country has an internal Gwangmyeon network that is not connected to the Internet.

The history of the DPRK is close to a denouement. It's time to thank the North Koreans and ask for their forgiveness.

Tata Oleinik

Not to express deep respect to the image of the leader is to endanger not only yourself, but also your entire family

Human society is constantly experimenting with how it can arrange itself in such a way that most of its members would be as comfortable as possible. From the outside, this probably looks like the attempts of a rheumatic fat man to make himself more comfortable on a flimsy couch with sharp corners: no matter how he turns, the poor fellow will certainly pinch something on himself, or he will serve time.

Some particularly desperate experiments were costly. Take, for example, the 20th century. The entire planet was a gigantic testing ground where two systems clashed in rivalry. Society is against individuality, totalitarianism is against democracy, order is against chaos. As we know, chaos won, which is not surprising. You see, it takes a lot of effort to ruin chaos, while the most perfect order can be destroyed with one well-placed bowl of chili.

Order does not tolerate mistakes, but chaos... chaos feeds on them.

Love of freedom is a vile quality that interferes with ordered happiness

A demonstration defeat took place at two experimental sites. Two countries were taken: one in Europe, the second in Asia. Germany and Korea were neatly divided in half and in both cases the market, elections, freedom of speech and individual rights were introduced in one half, while the other half was ordered to build an ideally fair and well-functioning social system in which the individual has the only right - to serve the common good.

However, the German experiment went unsuccessfully from the very beginning. Even Hitler did not completely exterminate the cultural traditions of the freedom-loving Germans - where does Honecker belong? And it is difficult to create a socialist society right in the middle of the swamp of decaying capitalism. It is not surprising that the GDR, no matter how much effort and money was poured into it, did not demonstrate any brilliant success; it produced the most pathetic economy, and its inhabitants, instead of being filled with a competitive spirit, preferred to run to their Western relatives, masquerading at the border as the contents of their suitcases.

The Korean site promised great success. Still, the Asian mentality is historically more inclined towards subordination and total control, and even more so if we are talking about Koreans, who lived under Japanese protectorate for almost half a century and have long since forgotten all freedoms.

Juche forever

After a series of rather bloody political upheavals, the former captain of the Soviet Army, Kim Il Sung, became the almost sole ruler of the DPRK. He was once a partisan who fought against the Japanese occupation, then, like many Korean communists, he ended up in the USSR and in 1945 returned to his homeland to build a new order. Knowing the Stalinist regime well, he managed to recreate it in Korea, and the copy in many ways surpassed the original.

The entire population of the country was divided into 51 groups according to social origin and degree of loyalty to the new regime. Moreover, unlike the USSR, it was not even kept silent that the very fact of your birth in the “wrong” family can be a crime: exiles and camps here for more than half a century have officially sent not only criminals, but also all members of their families, including minors children. The main ideology of the state became the “Juche idea,” which, with some stretch, can be translated as “self-reliance.” The essence of ideology comes down to the following provisions.

North Korea is the greatest country in the world. Very good. All other countries are bad. There are very bad ones, and there are inferior ones who are in slavery to the very bad ones. There are also countries that are not exactly bad, but also bad. For example, China and the USSR. They followed the path of communism, but distorted it, and this is wrong.

The characteristic features of a Caucasian are always signs of an enemy

Only North Koreans live happily, all other peoples eke out a miserable existence. The most unhappy country in the world is South Korea. It has been taken over by the damned imperialist bastards, and all South Koreans are divided into two categories: jackals, vile minions of the regime, and oppressed pathetic beggars who are too cowardly to drive out the Americans.

The greatest man in the world is the great leader Kim Il Sung. (By the way, in Korea we would have been exiled to a camp for this phrase. Because Koreans are taught from kindergarten that the name of the great leader Kim Il Sung should appear at the beginning of the sentence. Damn, they would have exiled us for this one too...) He liberated the country and expelled the damned Japanese. He is the wisest man on Earth. He is a living god. That is, he is already lifeless, but this does not matter, because he is forever alive. Everything you have was given to you by Kim Il Sung. The second great man is the son of the great leader Kim Il Sung, the beloved leader Kim Jong Il. The third is the current owner of the DPRK, the grandson of the great leader, the brilliant comrade Kim Jong-un. We express our love for Kim Il Sung through hard work. We love to work. We also love to learn the Juche idea.

We North Koreans are great happy people. Hooray!

Magic levers

Kim Il Sung and his closest aides were, of course, crocodiles. But these crocodiles had good intentions. They were really trying to create an ideally happy society. And when is a person happy? From the point of view of order theory, a person is happy when he takes his place, knows exactly what to do, and is satisfied with the existing state of affairs. Unfortunately, the one who created people made many mistakes in his creation. For example, he instilled in us a craving for freedom, independence, adventurism, risk, as well as pride and the desire to express our thoughts out loud.

All these vile human qualities interfered with a state of complete, orderly happiness. But Kim Il Sung knew well what levers could be used to control a person. These levers - love, fear, ignorance and control - are fully involved in Korean ideology. That is, they are also involved a little in all other ideologies, but no one here can keep up with the Koreans.

Ignorance

Until the early 80s, televisions in the country were distributed only according to party lists

Any unofficial information is completely illegal in the country. There is no access to any foreign newspapers or magazines. There is practically no literature as such, except for the officially approved works of modern North Korean writers, which, by and large, amount to praising the ideas of the Juche and the great leader.

Moreover, even North Korean newspapers cannot be stored here for too long: according to A.N. Lankov, one of the few specialists on the DPRK, it is almost impossible to obtain a fifteen-year-old newspaper even in a special storage facility. Still would! Party policy sometimes has to change, and there is no need for the average person to follow these fluctuations.

Koreans have radios, but each device must be sealed in the workshop so that it can only receive a few government radio channels. For keeping an unsealed receiver at home, you are immediately sent to a camp, along with your entire family.

There are televisions, but the cost of a device made in Taiwan or Russia, but with a Korean brand stuck on top of the manufacturer’s mark, is equal to approximately five years’ salary of an employee. So few people can watch TV, two state channels, especially considering that electricity in residential buildings is turned on for only a few hours a day. However, there is nothing to watch there, unless, of course, you count hymns to the leader, children's parades in honor of the leader and monstrous cartoons about how you need to study well in order to fight well against the damned imperialists.

North Koreans, of course, do not travel abroad, except for a tiny layer of members of the party elite. Some specialists can use Internet access with special permits - several institutions have computers connected to the Internet. But to sit down at them, a scientist needs to have a bunch of passes, and any visit to any site is naturally registered and then carefully studied by the security service.

Luxury housing for the elite. There is even a sewerage system and elevators work in the mornings!

In the world of official information, fabulous lies are happening. What they say in the news is not just a distortion of reality - it has nothing to do with it. Did you know that the average American ration does not exceed 300 grams of grains per day? At the same time, they do not have rations as such; they must earn their three hundred grams of corn in a factory, where the police beat them, so that the Americans work better.

Lankov gives a charming example from a North Korean third-grade textbook: “A South Korean boy, in order to save his dying sister from starvation, donated a liter of blood for American soldiers. With this money he bought rice cake for his sister. How many liters of blood must he donate so that half a cake will also go to him, his unemployed mother and his old grandmother?

The North Korean knows practically nothing about the world around him, he knows neither the past nor the future, and even the exact sciences in local schools and institutes are taught with the distortions required by the official ideology. For such an information vacuum, of course, one has to pay for a fantastically low level of science and culture. But it's worth it.

Love

The North Korean has almost no understanding of the real world

Love brings happiness, and this, by the way, is very good if you make a person love what he needs. The North Korean loves his leader and his country, and they help him in every way possible. Every adult Korean is required to wear a pin with a portrait of Kim Il Sung on his lapel; in every house, institution, in every apartment there should be a portrait of the leader hanging. The portrait should be cleaned daily with a brush and wiped with a dry cloth. So, for this brush there is a special drawer, standing in a place of honor in the apartment. There should be nothing else on the wall on which the portrait hangs, no patterns or pictures - this is disrespectful. Until the seventies, damage to a portrait, even unintentional, was punishable by execution; in the eighties, this could have been done with exile.

The eleven-hour working day of a North Korean daily begins and ends with half-hour political information, which tells about how good it is to live in the DPRK and how great and beautiful the leaders of the greatest country in the world are. On Sunday, the only non-working day, colleagues are supposed to meet together to once again discuss the Juche idea.

The most important school subject is studying the biography of Kim Il Sung. In every kindergarten, for example, there is a carefully guarded model of the leader’s native village; preschool children are required to show without hesitation exactly under which tree “the great leader, at the age of five, thought about the fate of humanity,” and where “he trained his body through sports and hardening to fight against Japanese invaders." There is not a single song in the country that does not contain the name of the leader.

All the youth in the country serve in the army. There are simply no young people on the streets

Control over the state of minds of the citizens of the DPRK is carried out by the MTF and MOB, or the Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Public Security. Moreover, the MTF is in charge of ideology and deals only with serious political offenses of the residents, while ordinary control over the lives of Koreans is under the jurisdiction of the MTF. It is the MOB patrols that carry out raids on apartments for their political decency and collect denunciations from citizens against each other.

But, naturally, no ministries would be enough for vigil, so the country has created a system of “inminbans”. Any housing in the DPRK is included in one or another inminban - usually twenty, thirty, rarely forty families. Each inminban has a headman - a person responsible for everything that happens in the cell. Every week, the head of the Inminban is obliged to report to the representative of the Ministry of Public Security about what is happening in the area entrusted to him, whether there is anything suspicious, whether anyone has uttered sedition, or whether there is unregistered radio equipment. The head of the Inminban has the right to enter any apartment at any time of the day or night; not letting him in is a crime.

Every person who comes to a house or apartment for more than a few hours is required to register with the headman, especially if he intends to stay overnight. The apartment owners and the guest must provide the warden with a written explanation of the reason for the overnight stay. If, during a MOB raid, unaccounted-for guests are found in the house, not only the owners of the apartment, but also the headman will go to a special settlement. In particularly obvious cases of sedition, responsibility may fall on all members of the inminban at once - for failure to report. For example, for an unauthorized visit of a foreigner to a Korean’s home, several dozen families may end up in the camp at once if they saw him, but hid the information.

Traffic jams in a country where there is no private transport are, as we see, a rare phenomenon

However, unaccounted guests are rare in Korea. The fact is that you can move from city to city and from village to village only with special passes, which the elders of the inminbans receive at the Moscow Public Library. You can wait months for such permits. And to Pyongyang, for example, no one can go to Pyongyang just like that: people from other regions are allowed into the capital only for official reasons.

Fear

The DPRK is ready to fight the imperialist vermin with machine guns, calculators and volumes of Juche

According to human rights organizations, approximately 15 percent of all North Koreans live in camps and special settlements.

There are regimes of varying severity, but usually these are simply areas surrounded by energized barbed wire where prisoners live in dugouts and shacks. In strict regimes, women, men and children are kept separately, while in regular regimes, families are not prohibited from living together. Prisoners cultivate the land or work in factories. The working day here lasts 18 hours, all free time is reserved for sleep.

The biggest problem in the camp is hunger. A defector to South Korea, Kang Cheol Hwan, who managed to escape from the camp and get out of the country, testifies that the standard diet for an adult camp resident was 290 grams of millet or corn per day. The prisoners eat rats, mice and frogs - this is a rare delicacy; a rat corpse is of great value here. The mortality rate reaches approximately 30 percent in the first five years, the reason for this is hunger, exhaustion and beatings.

Also a popular measure for political offenders (as well as for criminal offenders) is the death penalty. It is automatically applied when it comes to such serious violations as disrespectful words addressed to the great leader. Death executions are carried out publicly, by shooting. High school and student excursions are brought to them so that young people get a correct idea of ​​what is good and what is bad.

That's how they lived

Portraits of precious leaders hang even in the subway, in every car

The life of a North Korean who has not yet been convicted, however, cannot be called a raspberry. As a child, he spends almost all his free time in kindergarten and school, since his parents have no time to sit with him: they are always at work. At seventeen, he is drafted into the army, where he serves for ten years (for women, the service life is reduced to eight). Only after the army can he go to college and get married (marriage is prohibited for men under 27 and women under 25).

He lives in a tiny apartment, 18 meters of total area here is very comfortable housing for a family. If he is not a resident of Pyongyang, then with a 99 percent probability he has neither water supply nor sewerage in his house; even in cities there are water pumps and wooden toilets in front of apartment buildings.

He eats meat and sweets four times a year, on national holidays, when residents are given coupons for these types of food. Usually he feeds on rice, corn and millet, which he receives on ration cards at the rate of 500–600 grams per adult in “well-fed” years. Once a year he is allowed to receive ration cards for 80 kilograms of cabbage in order to pickle it. A small free market has opened up here in recent years, but the cost of a skinny chicken is equal to a month's salary of an employee. Party officials, however, eat quite decently: they receive food from special distributors and differ from the very lean rest of the population by being pleasantly plump.

Deplorable. Poverty, a practically non-functioning economy, population decline - all these signs of failed social experience got out of control during Kim Il Sung's lifetime. In the nineties, real famine came to the country, caused by drought and the cessation of food supplies from the collapsed USSR.

Pyongyang tried to hush up the true scale of the disaster, but, according to experts who studied satellite imagery, approximately two million people died of hunger during these years, that is, every tenth Korean died. Despite the fact that the DPRK was a rogue state, guilty of nuclear blackmail, the world community began to supply humanitarian aid there, which it is still doing.

Love for the leader helps not to go crazy - this is the state version of the “Stockholm syndrome”

In 1994, Kim Il Sung died, and since then the regime began to creak especially loudly. Nevertheless, nothing has changed fundamentally, except for some liberalization of the market. There are signs that suggest that the North Korean party elite is ready to give up the country in exchange for guarantees of personal integrity and Swiss bank accounts.

But now South Korea no longer expresses immediate readiness for unification and forgiveness: after all, taking on board 20 million people who are not adapted to modern life is a risky business. Engineers who have never seen a computer; peasants who are excellent at cooking grass, but are unfamiliar with the basics of modern agriculture; civil servants who know the Juche formulas by heart, but have not the slightest idea of ​​what a toilet looks like... Sociologists predict social upheavals, stockbrokers predict St. Vitus's dance on the stock exchanges, ordinary South Koreans are reasonably afraid of a sharp decline in living standards.

In 1945, Soviet and American troops occupied Korea, thus freeing it from Japanese occupation. The country was divided along the 38th parallel: the north went to the USSR, the south to the USA. Some time was spent trying to agree on unifying the country back, but since the partners had different views on everything, naturally no consensus was reached and in 1948 the formation of two Koreas was officially announced. It cannot be said that the parties gave up like this, without effort. In 1950, the Korean War began, somewhat reminiscent of the Third World War. From the north, the USSR, China and the hastily formed North Korean army fought, the honor of the southerners was defended by the USA, Great Britain and the Philippines, and among other things, UN peacekeeping forces were still traveling back and forth across Korea, throwing a spanner in the works of both. In general, it was quite stormy.

In 1953 the war ended. True, no agreements were signed; formally, both Koreas continued to remain in a state of war. North Koreans call this war the “Patriotic Liberation War,” while South Koreans call it the “June 25 Incident.” Quite a characteristic difference in terms.

In the end, the division at the 38th parallel remained in effect. Around the border, the parties formed the so-called “demilitarized zone” - an area that is still crammed with unrecovered mines and the remains of military equipment: the war is not officially over. During the war, approximately a million Chinese, two million South and North Koreans, 54,000 Americans, 5,000 British, and 315 soldiers and officers of the Soviet Army died.

After the war, the United States brought order to South Korea: they took control of the government, banned the execution of communists without trial, built military bases and poured money into the economy, so that South Korea quickly turned into one of the richest and most successful Asian states. Much more interesting things have begun in North Korea.

Photo: Reuters; Hulton Getty/Fotobank.com; Eyedea; AFP/East News; AP; Corbis/RPG.

North Korea for many residents of Europe and, especially, the United States, is only a “socialist country” with all the ensuing consequences. For most educated people, North Korea is a country with ancient culture and traditions, which has a large number of attractions, unique nature, mountains, rivers with waterfalls, long beaches on the sea coast, as well as hot and mineral springs. North Korea is a mysterious country, which, by the way, is very safe for tourists.

Geography of North Korea

North Korea is located in East Asia in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea borders Russia in the northeast, China in the north, and South Korea in the south. In the east, North Korea is washed by the warm waters of the Sea of ​​Japan, and in the west by the Yellow Sea. The total area of ​​the country is 120,540 square meters. km, including islands, and the total length of the state border is 1,673 km.

About 80% of North Korea's territory is occupied by mountains and hills. The plains are found mainly in the coastal regions of the country. The highest peak is Mount Paektusan, whose height reaches 2,744 m.

The Amnokkan River flows for 790 kilometers through North Korean territory, separating the country from China.

Capital

The capital of North Korea is Pyongyang, which is now home to more than 4.2 million people. Korean legends claim that Pyongyang was built more than 3 thousand years ago, but historians believe that the city was actually founded at the beginning of our era.

Official language

The official language in North Korea is Korean, which belongs to the Altaic languages.

Religion

About 65% of the North Korean population consider themselves atheists. Another 16% of North Koreans profess the so-called. Korean shamanism, about 5% are Buddhism, and about 1.7% are Christians.

Government structure of North Korea

The official name of North Korea is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. According to the current Constitution of 1972, the DPRK is a socialist republic. Its head is the President and Chairman of the Defense Committee.

Legislative power belongs to a unicameral parliament - the Supreme National Assembly (consists of 687 deputies). Deputies of the Supreme Council appoint the Cabinet of Ministers.

Climate and weather

The climate in North Korea is temperate with four seasons. Summer (June-August) is warm, and winter (December-February) is cold, with little snow.

Judging by weather conditions, the best months to visit North Korea are April and May in spring, June in summer, and September and October in autumn. But we recommend going in August-September, when the Arirang festival takes place in the DPRK.

In Pyongyang, the highest average air temperature is observed in July and August (+29C), and the lowest in January (-13C).

Sea in North Korea

In the east, North Korea is washed by the warm waters of the Sea of ​​Japan, and in the west by the Yellow Sea. The total coastline is 2,495 km. In August, the water off the coast of North Korea warms up to +26C.

Rivers and lakes

Several large rivers flow through the territory of North Korea - Amnokkan (790 km), Tumangan (521 km) and Taedongan (397 km). Many rivers have amazingly beautiful waterfalls. The lakes in the DPRK are not very large, but they are very beautiful. In the Paektu Mountains in the northeast of the country there is a crater lake called Cheongji. For Koreans, the waters of this lake are considered sacred.

History of North Korea

As such, the history of North Korea begins in 1948, when the previously united Korea was divided into two states - the DPRK and the Republic of Korea (South Korea).

In 1950-53, there was a war between the DPRK and South Korea, in which external forces (the USA, the UN, China and the USSR) took an active part. A peace treaty between these countries has not yet been signed, and their border is separated by the so-called. Demilitarized zone.

It was only in 1991 that North Korea was admitted to the UN.

Culture

North Korean culture was almost eradicated during the occupation of Korea by Japanese troops in the 20th century. The Japanese tried to assimilate the Koreans, deprive them of history, traditions, religion and language. However, forced assimilation made Koreans even more eager to preserve their cultural treasures.

In ancient times, the life and traditions of Koreans were greatly influenced by religion (Buddhism and Confucianism). Even now, under the socialist system, in North Korea the influence of Buddhism and Confucianism is very strong. Most holidays and festivals in the DPRK have religious roots. The most popular of them are Buddha's Birthday and Arirang Festival.

We recommend that tourists visit North Korea during the Arirang festival, which begins in mid-August and lasts a whole month. You will have the opportunity not only to travel around amazing North Korea, but also to see Arirang festivals, which are not found in any other country in the world.

Kitchen

North Korean cuisine is based on ancient Korean culinary traditions. Of course, North Korean cuisine cannot be suspected of sophistication and luxury, but, nevertheless, despite its simplicity, it is very appetizing and tasty.

In addition, North Korean cuisine is healthier than, for example, American cuisine. In North Korea, the population is not obese, as, for example, in the United States, where 65% of Americans are overweight.

The main food product in North Korea is rice, from which dozens of dishes are made. Rice is usually eaten with various snacks (the most popular of which is kimchi, sauerkraut or pickled cabbage).

Traditional non-alcoholic drinks in the DPRK are rice and barley broth, as well as decoctions and infusions of various herbs and spices (ginseng, cinnamon, ginger).

As for alcoholic drinks in the DPRK, ginseng vodka, rice wine, and soju rice liqueur are popular there.

Sights of North Korea

North Korea now has several thousand historical, architectural and archaeological sites. Moreover, many of them date back to the socialist era. Whether they should be classified as historical and architectural monuments is a controversial issue. Therefore, we will highlight only ancient attractions in the DPRK. In our opinion, the top ten best attractions in North Korea may include the following:

1. Ruins of Anhakku Palace in Pyongyang
2. Tomb of King Tangan
3. Anak Tomb
4. Fortress gate at Mount Nam
5. Wolyongsa Temple near Nampo
6. Mausoleum of Queen Kongmin in Kaesong
7. Fort on Mount Xiangsang
8. Yeongbok Temple in Kaesong
9. Pohyeonsa Buddhist Temple
10. Buddhist Temple Mahayon

Cities and resorts

The largest cities in North Korea are Chongjin, Hungnam, Chongjin, Hamhung, Sinuiju, Wonsan, Kaesong, and, of course, Pyongyang.

North Korea has several beach resorts, but foreign tourists are rare due to the political situation. Most often, residents of China come to the DPRK. In the south of North Korea, in the Kumgangsan Mountains, there is the Diamond Mountains tourist region, where many South Korean citizens have been visiting in recent years.

The most famous beach resort in North Korea is Wonsan, located in the northeast of the country.

There are many hot and mineral springs in the DPRK, so it is not surprising that balneological resorts have been developing in this country in recent years. Among them, Vekymkan, located near the Sea of ​​Japan, should be highlighted. In general, according to official information, there are 124 hot springs in the DPRK.

There are also balneological resorts with hot springs in the vicinity of Pyongyang itself (for example, Kumgang hot springs). In addition, there are thermal and mineral springs in the Kuwolsan rock massif and in the Kumgangsan Mountains.

Souvenirs/shopping