World Country North Korea

About the world country North Korea, its location, size, population, and who is in power.

NATIONS OF THE WORLD

KOREA, NORTH

Location: Northern half of the Korean Peninsula, which juts south from Manchuria (China) into the Pacific Ocean. Size: 46,540 sq. mi. (120,538 sq. km.). Population: 20,250,000.

Who Really Rules: North Korea is tightly ruled by the Communist Korean Workers' party, headed by Kim II Sung. More than one tenth of the total population belong to the party, which descends from the anti-Japanese resistance movement before and during W.W.II. The government and party closely monitor all political activity in the country, restrict travel and access to information, and imprison suspected opponents. Kim II Sung is glorified by an enormous personality cult in which he is credited for everything that is good in North Korea. Every North Korean (except Kim) wears a badge showing Kim's face; the size of the badge indicates the wearer's status. The ailing Kim is expected to pass his authority on to one of his sons.

An industrial country without unemployment, North Korea is also self-sufficient in most farm goods. The cities are clean, the transportation systems are efficient, and the military is well armed and well trained.