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.

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 WPK.

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.

North Korea (abbreviation: Democratic People's Republic of Korea) is a state located in the north of the Korean Peninsula. Also known as North Korea. The capital of the country is located in the city of Pyongyang. The current president of North Korea is Kim Jong-un. But the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is known for having another presidential position - the Eternal President. This title was given to Kim Il Sung, the first person to lead the DPRK.

In contact with

Below is the location of North Korea on the world map.

The image of the world map shows that in the north the DPRK borders Russia and China. The state's southern neighbor is the Republic of Korea (South Korea). In the West and East (visible on the map), the country is washed by the seas: Yellow and Japanese.

The population of the DPRK (Wikipedia) is 24,720,407 people. The majority of North Korea's population is Korean. But you can also meet Japanese and Chinese here.

History of the state

North Korea is a young country, which appeared in the middle of the 20th century. After the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japanese invaders at the end of World War II, the territory of the peninsula was divided into two parts: the zone of influence of the USSR (in the north) and the zone of influence of the United States (in the south). But the Koreans wanted independence.

On August 15, 1948, a new state was created in the US zone of influence. In response to this, the inhabitants of the northern part of the peninsula also declared themselves an independent country, and Kim Il Sung became its head. The ruling position in North Korea was taken by the Workers' Party of Korea.

But the head of the DPRK wanted the Korean Peninsula to become a single state, so in 1949 Kim Il Sung turned to the Chinese and Soviet governments for help. He hoped that neighboring states would help him organize a military campaign against South Korea (by that time, American troops had almost completely left the country). The Soviet authorities for a long time did not dare to take this step, but in May 1950, Stalin still agreed to help the DPRK. It is important to note that the USSR helped Kim Il Sung only in developing military strategy and training Korean soldiers. The Soviet Union refused to participate in hostilities.

On June 25, 1950, the DPR attacked South Korea., and the Korean War began. At first, the North Korean army was successful: they quickly captured Seoul and advanced deeper into the peninsula. But this triumph did not last long. Soon UN forces intervened in the conflict, so in October of the same year the southerners not only regained Seoul, but also captured Pyongyang.

In this difficult situation, the Chinese military came to the aid of Kim Il Sung. In January 1951, they helped retake North Korea's Pyongyang and recaptured Seoul. But the Americans did not leave the southerners in trouble, and again came to their aid. Already in March 1951, Seoul was recaptured. The DPRK troops were thrown back to where the demilitarized zone is now located. In 1953, the border between the two states of the Korean Peninsula was located along the front line.

Relations of the DPRK with other countries

It's no secret that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is one of the most closed states in the world. But to say that this country lives in complete isolation is incorrect. The DPRK is a member of the UN and maintains diplomatic ties with other world powers (there are 161 such countries in total).

But the DPRK does not have warm relations with all states. There is still tension between the northern and southern parts of the Korean Peninsula, as both countries desire to gain dominance in this territory. From time to time, diplomatic conflicts arise between these countries. The DPRK has rather complicated relations with countries such as Japan and the USA.

Can be called friendly relations between North Korea and Russia. The powers entered into a number of agreements on cooperation in the cultural, economic and technical spheres. Since 2014, payments between countries have been carried out in rubles. But it is worth noting that recently the trade turnover between the Russian Federation and the DPRK has noticeably decreased.

Police and health

North Korea can rightfully be called one of the safest countries. The crime rate here is extremely low. Perhaps this is due to the fact that for any violation of the law, punishment will befall not only the criminal himself, but also three more generations of his family. Law enforcement officers are everywhere and keep order in the country. The Korean People's Army also operates in the DPRK.

Regarding healthcare, then here, according to Wikipedia, the situation is worse than with law enforcement. Thus, there is a catastrophic shortage of personnel in the country's hospitals. As for the doctors who work there, their qualifications are low. The condition of medical equipment also leaves much to be desired. Hospitals are experiencing interruptions in water and electricity supplies.

Communications and media

The telephone communication system in the DPRK is extremely poorly developed. As a rule, telephones are only available in government agencies and post offices. Mobile communications in the country are widespread only among civil servants, businessmen and foreigners. For the rest of the population, mobile phones are still a luxury item.

Internet access in North Korea also limited. Currently, only employees of government agencies and foreign enterprises can connect to the World Wide Web. It is worth noting that the DPRK has its own national domain .kp.

The Gwangmyeon internal network flourishes throughout the country. You can get scientific and technical information there. Also, the Gwangmyeon network promotes Juche (the political ideology of the DPRK). This network is also available to the general population of the country, but all activity in it is controlled by government officials.

Broadcasting in North Korea handled by the Korean Central Broadcasting Station. However, the country's population is only allowed to listen to DPRK radio. Listening to foreign radio broadcasts is punishable by imprisonment.

As for television, there are three television programs operating in the country. One of them is dedicated to cultural topics. Residents of the DPRK can only use registered receivers. Frequency settings are also controlled by the authorities.

Tourism

Tourism in North Korea It is rather poorly developed, but this does not mean that there are no tourists at all in the DPRK. As a rule, people come here to enjoy nature and the so-called “neo-Stalinist” atmosphere. It is worth noting that since 2009, the number of foreign tourists in the country has increased sharply.

Beach resorts were built especially for guests from other countries on the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan. There are mountain resorts in the Geumgangsan and Myohyangsan mountains. There are many tourist routes on the territory of the state. After walking along them, you will be able to enjoy North Korean nature in all its glory.

It is worth noting that all the most interesting events take place in the capital of the DPRK. The cultural life of the country is also concentrated there. In Pyongyang you will find many theatres, museums, concert halls and recreational parks. As for nightclubs, they are extremely rare here.

However, tourists who decide to go to North Korea must remember a number of rules:

Moreover, foreign citizens who are in North Korea You should also watch your speech. It is best not to start conversations on a political topic. It is not recommended to speak negatively about the DPRK, its authorities or its people. Tourists should also not try to make friends with locals.

These and many other restrictions discourage most tourists. However, the North Korean government is actively working to make the stay of foreign guests more comfortable.

As a rule, visas to North Korea are only issued to officially organized groups. The best way to obtain it is to seek help from a tour operator officially recognized by the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. To obtain a visa you will need provide the following documents:

Please note the validity period of your passport. It must be at least 6 months old.

A visa can be obtained not only through a tour operator, but also through the DPRK consular department. However, this method will take you much more time, and the visa procedure itself will be more complicated. You can find the DPRK Embassy at the address: Moscow, st. Mosfilmovskaya, 72.