North Korea,[c] 

officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK),[d] is a country

in East Asia, constituting the northern part of the
Korean Peninsula. It borders China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok)
and Tumen rivers, and South Korea to the south at the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Its western
border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eastern border is defined by the Sea of Japan.
North Korea, like its southern counterpart, claims to be the legitimate government of the entire
peninsula and adjacent islands.
Pyongyang is the country's capital and largest city.
In 1910, Korea was annexed by the
Empire of Japan. In 1945, after the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II, Korea
was divided into two zones along the 38th parallel, with the north occupied by the Soviet
Union and the south occupied by the United States. Negotiations on reunification failed, and in
1948, separate governments were formed: the socialist DPRK in the north, and the
capitalist Republic of Korea in the south. The Korean War began in 1950, with an invasion by
North Korea, and lasted to 1953. The Korean Armistice Agreement brought about a ceasefire and
established a demilitarized zone (DMZ), but no formal peace treaty was ever signed.
According to Article 1 of the state constitution, North Korea is an "independent socialist state".[e]
[15]
 It holds elections, though they have been described by independent observers as sham
elections, as North Korea is a totalitarian dictatorship,[16][17][18][19] with an elaborate cult of
personality around the Kim dynasty. The Workers' Party of Korea, led by a member of the ruling
family, is the dominant party and leads the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea, of
which all political officers are required to be members.
According to Article 3 of the constitution, Juche is the official ideology of North Korea.
[15]
 The means of production are owned by the state through state-run enterprises and collectivized
farms. Most services—such as healthcare, education, housing, and food production—are
subsidized or state-funded. From 1994 to 1998, North Korea suffered a famine that resulted in
the deaths of between 240,000 and 420,000 people, and the population continues to suffer from
malnutrition.[20]
North Korea follows Songun, or "military first" policy, for its Korean People's Army. It possesses
nuclear weapons, and is the country with the second highest number of military and paramilitary
personnel, with a total of 7.769 million active, reserve, and paramilitary personnel, or
approximately 30% of its population. Its active duty army of 1.28 million soldiers is the fourth-largest
in the world, consisting of 5% of its population. A 2014 inquiry by the United Nations into abuses of