Korea, North Government

What is the capital of Korea, North?

Country Name	North Korea
Full Country Name	Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Abbreviation	DPRK
Local - Long	Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk
Local - Short	Choson
Etymology- history of name	derived from the Chinese name for Goryeo, which was the Korean dynasty that united the peninsula in the 10th century A.D.; the North Korean name "Choson" means "[Land of the] Morning Calm"
Government Type	dictatorship, single-party state; official state ideology of "Juche" or "national self-reliance"
Capital Name	Pyongyang
Capital - geographic coordinate	39 01 N, 125 45 E
Capital Time Difference	UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) time zone note: on 5 May 2018, North Korea reverted to UTC+9, the same time zone as South Korea
Independence	15 August 1945 (from Japan)
National Holiday	Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), 9 September (1948)
Constitution	history: previous 1948, 1972; latest adopted 1998 (during KIM Jong-il era) amendments: proposed by the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA); passage requires more than two-thirds majority vote of the total SPA membership; revised several times, last in 2023

Korea, North Capital City Map

Source: Google Maps

Korea, North Government and Politics

Who is the president of Korea, North?

Executive Branch:	chief of state: State Affairs Commission President KIM Jong Un (since 17 December 2011); note - within the North Korean system, KIM Jong Un's role as chief of state is secondary to his role as general secretary of the Korean Workers' Party; chief of state is used to engage with non-communist countries such as the US; North Korea revised its constitution in 2019 to define "the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission" as "the supreme leader who represents the state"; functions as the commander-in-chief and chief executive; the specific titles associated with this office have changed multiple times under KIM's tenure, however, KIM Jong Un has been supreme leader since his father's death in 2011 head of government: Supreme People's Assembly President CHOE Ryong Hae (since 11 April 2019); note - functions as the technical head of state and performs related duties, such as receiving ambassadors' credentials cabinet: Cabinet or Naegak members appointed by the Supreme People's Assembly except the Minister of People's Armed Forces elections/appointments: chief of state and premier indirectly elected by the Supreme People's Assembly; election last held on 10 March 2019 (next to be held in March 2024) election results: 2019: KIM Jong Un reelected unopposed note 1: KIM Jong Un's titles include general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (KWP), chairman of the KWP Central Military Commission, president of the State Affairs Commission, and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army
Citizenship Criteria:	citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of North Korea dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: unknown
Legal System:	civil law system based on the Prussian model; system influenced by Japanese traditions and Communist legal theory
Suffrage:	17 years of age; universal and compulsory
Legislative Branch:	description: unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687 seats; members directly elected by majority vote in 2 rounds if needed to serve 5-year terms); note - functions as a rubberstamp legislature; the Korean Workers' Party selects all candidates elections: last held on 10 March 2019 (next to be held in March 2024) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - KWP 607, KSDP 50, Chondoist Chongu Party 22, General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) 5, religious associations 3; ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected without opposition; composition as of March 2022 - men 566, women 121, percent of women 17.6% note: KWP, KSDP, Chondoist Chongu Party, and Chongryon are under the KWP's control; a token number of seats reserved for minor parties
Judicial Branch:	highest court(s): Supreme Court or Central Court (consists of one judge and 2 "People's Assessors" or, for some cases, 3 judges) judge selection and term of office: judges elected by the Supreme People's Assembly for 5-year terms subordinate courts: lower provincial courts as determined by the Supreme People's Assembly
Regions or States:	9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 4 special administration cities (si, singular and plural) provinces: Chagang, Hambuk (North Hamgyong), Hamnam (South Hamgyong), Hwangbuk (North Hwanghae), Hwangnam (South Hwanghae), Kangwon, P'yongbuk (North Pyongan), P'yongnam (South Pyongan), Ryanggang special administration cities: Kaesong, Nampo, P'yongyang, Rason note: P'yongyang is identified as a directly controlled city, while Kaesong, Nampo, and Rason are designated as special cities
Political Parties and Leaders:	major parties: Korean Workers' Party or KWP (formally known as Workers' Party of Korea) [KIM Jong Un, general secretary] General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) [HO Chong Man] minor parties: Chondoist Chongu Party [RI Myong Chol] (under KWP control) Social Democratic Party or KSDP [KIM Ho Chol] (under KWP control)
International Law Organization Participation:	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
International Organization Participation:	ARF, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IMSO, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic Representation in the US:	chief of mission: none; North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York
Diplomatic Representation from US:	embassy: none; the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang represents the US as consular protecting power

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