Government and Politics of Korea, North

Government Type

Communist state one-man dictatorship

Administrative Divisions

9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 4 special cities* (si, singular and plural); Chagang-do (Chagang Province), Hamgyong-bukto (North Hamgyong Province), Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong Province), Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae Province), Hwanghae-namdo (South Hwanghae Province), Kaesong-si* (Kaesong City), Kangwon-do (Kangwon Province), Najin Sonbong-si*, Namp'o-si* (Namp'o City), P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan Province), P'yongan-namdo (South P'yongan Province), P'yongyang-si* (Pyongyang City), Yanggang-do (Yanggang Province)

Legal System

based on German civil law system with Japanese influences and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

17 years of age; universal

Citizenship

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

Executive Branch

chief of state: KIM Jong Un (since December 2011); KIM Jong Un serves as General Secretary of the Korean Workers' Party and President of the State Affairs Commission, the position recognized as the nation's highest office; KIM Jong Un assumed full control following the death of his father, KIM Jong Il, in December 2011 and has consolidated authority across party, state, and military structures; CHOE Ryong Hae serves as President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, nominally responsible for representing the state and receiving diplomatic credentials head of government: Premier KIM Tok Hun (since August 2020); multiple Vice Premiers assist in overseeing state administrative functions under the Cabinet cabinet: Naegak (cabinet) members, except for the Minister of National Defense, are appointed by the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) elections: KIM Jong Un faces no electoral competition; SPA deputies are elected every five years in single-candidate elections; last SPA elections held in March 2019 (next scheduled for 2024) election results: all candidates for the SPA ran unopposed with officially reported approval rates near 100 percent; leadership positions within the state and party are determined through party processes rather than competitive elections

Legislative Branch

Unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) Elections: Last held on March 10, 2019 (next to be held in 2024) Election results: Percent of vote by party — NA; seats by party — NA; the ruling Korean Workers' Party approves a single list of candidates who are elected without opposition and with an officially reported 100% turnout; some seats are held by minor parties including the Korean Social Democratic Party and the Chondoist Chongu Party

Judicial Branch

Central Court (judges are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly)

Political Parties

major party - Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Jong Il, general secretary]; minor parties - Chondoist Chongu Party [RYU Mi Yong, chairwoman] (under KWP control); Social Democratic Party [KIM Yong Dae, chairman] (under KWP control)

Head of State

KIM Jong Un (since December 2011)

Head of Government

Premier KIM Tok Hun (since August 2020)

Cabinet

Naegak (cabinet) members, except for Minister of People’s Armed Forces, are appointed by SPA

Elections

Last held on March 10, 2019 (next to be held in 2024)

Election Results

Percent of vote by party — NA; seats by party — NA; the ruling Korean Workers' Party approves a single list of candidates who are elected without opposition and with an officially reported 100% turnout; some seats are held by minor parties including the Korean Social Democratic Party and the Chondoist Chongu Party

Constitution

adopted 1948, completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in April 1992 and September 1998

Independence

15 August 1945 (from Japan)

National Holiday

Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), 9 September (1948)

International Organization Participation

ARF, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.

none; North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York

U.S. Diplomatic Representation

none; note - Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang represents the US as consular protecting power

Capital City

Pyongyang

Location

39 01 N, 125 45 E

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

History

the name translates as "flat land" in Korean

North Korea does not have an embassy in the United States. U.S. citizens and residents planning to travel to North Korea may obtain DPRK visas at the DPRK Embassy in Beijing, China, which will issue visas only upon authorization from the DPRK Foreign Ministry in Pyongyang. Before departing for China, you may wish to contact the DPRK Embassy in Beijing to confirm it has received authorization from Pyongyang to issue you a visa. The Embassy of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in Beijing No. 11, Ritan Bei Lu, Jianguomen Wai, Chaoyang District Beijing, China 100600 Telephone: (86-10) 6532-6639 (Visa Office) Telephone: (86-10) 65312-1186 Facsimile: (86-10) 6532-6056 If you wish to ask the DPRK whether your application for a visa would be approved, you may address your inquiry to the Permanent Representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the United Nations in New York. The Permanent Representative of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the United Nations 820 Second Avenue New York, NY 10017 Telephone: (212) 972-3105 Facsimile: (212) 972-3154 If you live abroad in a country with diplomatic relations with the DPRK, you could ask the DPRK embassy in that country for visa advice. The Embassy of Sweden (U.S. Protecting Power): Swedish Embassy (U.S. Protecting Power) Munsu-Dong District Pyongyang, DPRK Telephone: (850-2) 3817 485 (reception) Telephone: (850-2) 3817 904, (850-2) 3817 907 (Deputy) Telephone: (850-2) 3817 908, (850-2) 3817 905 (Ambassador) Facsimile: (850-2) 3817 663 Email: ambassaden.pyongyang@gov.se U.S. Embassy Beijing: The Embassy is located near the Ladies' Street (Nuren Jie) and Laitai Flower Market, opposite the Kempinski Hotel and Lufthansa shopping Center. U.S. Embassy Beijing American Citizens Services Unit No. 55 An Jia Lou Road Chaoyang District Beijing, China 100600 Telephone: (86-10) 8531-4000 Facsimile: (86-10) 8531-3300 Email: beijingacs@state.gov Emergency after-hours telephone: (86-10) 8531-4000 U.S. Embassy Seoul: The Embassy is located across the street from Sejong Cultural Center and next to the Ministry of Information and Communication/KT Building. U. S. Embassy Seoul American Citizen Services Unit 188 Sejong Daero, Jongno-gu Seoul, Republic of Korea Telephone: (82-2) 397-4114 Facsimile: (82-2) 2-397-4101 E-mail: seoulinfo@state.gov Emergency after-hours telephone: (82-2) 397-4114

Military Branches

North Korean People's Army: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force; civil security forces

Service Age and Obligation

18 is presumed to be the legal minimum age for compulsory military service; 16-17 is the presumed legal minimum age for voluntary service