Korea, North Demographics

What is the population of Korea, North?

Population 25,643,466
Population Growth Rate 0.53%
Urban Population 60.300000
Population in Major Urban Areas PYONGYANG (capital) 2.843 million
Nationality Noun Korean(s)
Ethnic Groups racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese
Language Note

Korean is spoken in both North and South Korea and is written in a phonetic alphabet created and promulgated in the mid-15th century. While the alphabet is called Hangul in South Korea, it is known as Chosongul in North Korea. Although the Korean language is derived with words adapted from Chinese, the North Koreans, unlike the South Koreans, do not use Chinese characters with Chosongul in their newspapers and publications. They prefer to use only Chosongul, which is sufficient for most needs.

There are difference in vocabulary between the North and the South, influenced somewhat by politics and also by the contact each country has had with other nations. Russian, Chinese, and English are taught as second languages in the schools.

Korea, North Population Comparison

Korea, North Health Information

What are the health conditions in Korea, North?

Life Expectancy at Birth 69.510000
Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population 9.15
Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births 25.340000
Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population 3.29
Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population 13.2
Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved 98.900000
Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births 81
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 12-49 68.6%
Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman 1.99
Obesity - adult prevalence rate 3.9%
Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved 87.900000
Underweight - percent of children under five years 18.8%

Korea, North Life Expectancy

How long do people live in Korea, North?

Life Expectancy at Birth 69.510000
Median Age 33.200000
Contraceptive Prevalance Rate - female 12-49 68.6%
Infant Mortality Rate 25.340000
Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births 81
Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman 1.99

Korea, North median age, birth rate and death rates

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population 14
Median Age 33.200000
Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population -0.04
Population Growth Rate 0.53%
Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female 1.050000
Age Structure 20.970000
Contraceptive Prevalance Rate - female 12-49 68.6%
Infant Mortality Rate 25.340000
Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births 81
Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman 1.99

Korea, North Medical Information

What are the health conditions in Korea, North?

Medical Facilities and Health Information

If you have medical problems, you should not travel to North Korea. For decades, medical facilities in the DPRK have suffered from a lack of resources and electricity. Medical personnel often have inadequate or outdated skills. Hospitals in Pyongyang can perform basic examinations and lifesaving measures, but functioning x-ray facilities are not generally available. If possible, avoid surgery. If you have an accident outside Pyongyang, transport back to the capital can be lengthy and without medical assistance. According to DPRK Customs, most prescription medication may be brought into the country with no restrictions. If you require regular medication, you should bring a sufficient amount for your personal use along with the doctor’s prescription, since most drugs are unavailable locally. Hospitals will expect immediate U.S. dollar cash payment for medical treatment. You cannot use credit cards or checks in the DPRK. Local DPRK hosts are often not aware of options available for medical evacuations and might claim that no such options exist. It is important to insist on immediate contact with the Embassy of Sweden if you have serious medical problems.

Tuberculosis is an increasingly serious health concern in North Korea.

Medical Evacuations: In the case of a critical illness or accident, immediately contact the Embassy of Sweden, which will attempt to arrange flight clearances for air ambulances performing emergency medical evacuations. Costs for medical air evacuation vary, but according to SOS International, an evacuation from Pyongyang to Beijing averages approximately USD 40,000 including medical personnel (1 doctor and 1 nurse), the aircraft, and clearance costs. The General Bureau of the Koryo Civil Aviation of the DPRK says that it provides around-the-clock service and that requests for air clearance will be granted within 24 hours. If a U.S. citizen with a medical emergency is in Pyongyang, the Embassy of Sweden can usually arrange a medical evacuation to Beijing in one day. If the patient is located outside Pyongyang, it will take longer. Medical evacuation by regularly scheduled airlines can be arranged, but very few flights operate from Pyongyang to Beijing (Air Koryo and Air China), Shenyang (Air Koryo), or Vladivostok (Air Koryo). Air Koryo flights go to Shanghai only on a charter basis in the tourist season (April-October). In order to transit China, Chinese visas for injured foreigners and any escorts must be obtained prior to the evacuation from North Korea. Even in the case of a medical emergency, transit visas may take several days to arrange. Evacuation across the DMZ to South Korea is not allowed.

Vaccinations: You should get all necessary vaccinations prior to traveling to North Korea. You can find information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747) or via the CDC Internet site. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization's (WHO) website. If you have special dietary requirements, you are advised to bring food with you to North Korea, as the restaurants available to foreigners have limited menus that lack variety and nutritional adequacy.

Companies that may be able to arrange evacuation services include, but are not limited to, those listed below. You may wish to contact these or other emergency medical assistance providers for information about their ability to provide medical evacuation insurance and/or assistance for travelers to North Korea.

International SOS ( www.internationalsos.com/en/ )

Telephone: (U.S.) (1-800) 468-5232

Telephone: (China) (86-10) 6462-9100, 6462-9112

Medex Assistance Corporation ( www.medexassist.com )

Telephone: (U.S.) (410) 453-6300 / 6301

Telephone: (Toll free within China) 10-8888-800-527-0218

Telephone: (China) (86-10) 6595-8510)

Global Doctor

Telephone: (China) (86-10) 8315-1914.

Telephone: (Shenyang, Liaoning Province) (86-24) 24330678

Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population

13.2

Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population

3.29

Korea, North Education

What is school like in Korea, North?

Literacy - female 99%
Literacy - male 99%
Literacy - total population 99%
Literacy Definition age 15 and over can read and write Korean
Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary) 0.000000

Korea, North Literacy

Can people in Korea, North read?

Literacy - female 99%
Literacy - male 99%
Literacy - total population 99%
Literacy Definition age 15 and over can read and write Korean

Korea, North Crime

Is Korea, North a safe place to visit?

Crime Information

North Korea does not release crime statistics. Violent crime is rare, and street crime against foreigners is uncommon in Pyongyang. Petty thefts have been reported, especially at the airport in Pyongyang.

Do not buy counterfeit and/or pirated goods, even if they are widely available. The purchase of counterfeit and pirated goods is illegal in the United States and may be illegal in North Korea.

Korea, North Penalties for Crime

Criminal Penalties

The North Korean system does not operate according to the rule of law, and foreigners should harbor no expectations regarding due process. Foreign visitors to North Korea may be arrested, detained, or expelled for activities that would not be considered criminal outside North Korea, including involvement in unsanctioned religious and/or political activities (whether those activities took place inside or outside North Korea), unauthorized travel, or unauthorized interaction with the local population. If you do something considered illegal in North Korea, you may be subject to the North Korean judicial system, which is an instrument of state power and not an independent branch of government. Protections guaranteed under the U.S. legal system do not apply, and possession of a U.S. passport does not confer special status. Your local host/liaison may be able to provide useful guidance.

North Korean security personnel may regard as espionage unauthorized or unescorted travel inside North Korea and unauthorized attempts to speak directly with North Korean citizens. North Korean authorities may fine or arrest you for exchanging currency with an unauthorized vendor, for taking unauthorized photographs, or for shopping at stores not designated for foreigners. It is a criminal act in North Korea to show disrespect to the country's current and former leaders – Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong Il, and Kim Il Sung. A near-religious cult surrounds treatment of these individuals, and acts that would be deemed unexceptional elsewhere in the world – e.g., placing in the garbage newspapers bearing their photographs – may be deemed disrespectful.

Although North Korea has granted press visas for cultural or sporting events or visits of foreign leaders, officials watch closely to prevent journalists from talking to ordinary people or questioning the policies, actions, or public statements of North Korea’s leadership. North Korea has confiscated objectionable material from foreign journalists. Journalists who engaged in activities that challenged the regime have been deported, arrested, or detained to face criminal charges.

North Korean government security personnel closely monitor the activities and conversations of foreigners in North Korea. Never bring or handle any material, printed or digital, that could be interpreted as critical of, or hostile to, the country or its leadership. Hotel rooms, telephones, and fax machines may be monitored, and personal possessions in hotel rooms may be searched. Do not take pictures without explicit authorization. North Korean government authorities may view taking unauthorized pictures as espionage, confiscate cameras and film and/or detain the photographer. Persons violating the laws of North Korea, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned.

Engaging in sexual conduct with minors or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime, prosecutable in the United States.

All Countries
Afghanistan Akrotiri Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Clipperton Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Cook Islands Coral Sea Islands Costa Rica Cote d’Ivoire Croatia Cuba Curacao Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Dhekelia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia, The Gaza Strip Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Jan Mayen Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, North Korea, South Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Islands Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Sudan, South Suriname Svalbard Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States (US) Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands Wake Island Wallis and Futuna West Bank Western Sahara World Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe