North Korea,[c] officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK),[d] is a country in East Asia.

It constitutes the northern half of the Korean

Peninsula and 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.[e] The country's 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 capital and largest city.

The Korean Peninsula was first inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period. Its first kingdom was noted in Chinese records in the early 7th
century BCE. Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea into Silla and Balhae in the late 7th century, Korea was ruled by
the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) and the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). The succeeding Korean Empire (1897–1910) was annexed in 1910 into
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. In 1948, separate governments were formed in Korea: the
socialist and Soviet-aligned Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north, and the capitalist, Western-aligned Republic of Korea in the south.
The Korean War began when North Korean forces invaded South Korea in 1950. In 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement brought about
a ceasefire and established a demilitarized zone (DMZ), but no formal peace treaty has ever been signed. Post-war North Korea benefited greatly from
economic aid and expertise provided by other Eastern Bloc countries. However, Kim Il Sung, North Korea's first leader, promoted his personal
philosophy of Juche as the state ideology. Pyongyang's international isolation sharply accelerated from the 1980s onwards as the Cold War came to an
end. The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 then brought about a sharp decline to the North Korean economy. From 1994 to 1998, North Korea suffered a
famine with the population continuing to suffer from malnutrition. In 2024, the DPRK formally abandoned efforts to peacefully reunify Korea.

North Korea is a totalitarian dictatorship with a comprehensive cult of personality around the Kim family. Amnesty International considers the country to
have the worst human rights record in the world. Officially, North Korea is an "independent socialist state"[f] which holds democratic elections; however,
outside observers have described the elections as unfair, uncompetitive, and pre-determined, in a manner similar to elections in the Soviet Union. The
Workers' Party of Korea is the ruling party of North Korea. According to Article 3 of the constitution, Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism is the official ideology
of North Korea. 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.

North Korea follows Songun, a "military first" policy which prioritizes the Korean People's Army in state affairs and the allocation of resources.
It possesses nuclear weapons. Its active-duty army of 1.28 million soldiers is the fourth-largest in the world. In addition to being a member of the United
Nations since 1991, North Korea is also a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, G77, and the ASEAN Regional Forum.

Names
See also: Names of Korea

The name Korea is derived from Goguryeo, also known as Koryŏ, one of
the Three Kingdoms of Korea
The modern spelling of Korea first appeared in the late 17th century in the travel writings of the Dutch East India Company's Hendrick Hamel.[12]
After the division of the country into North and South Korea, the two sides used different terms to refer to Korea: Chosun or Joseon (조선) in North
Korea, and Hanguk (한국) in South Korea. In 1948, North Korea adopted Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Korean: 조선민주주의인민공화국,
Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk; listenⓘ) as its official name. In the wider world, because its government controls the northern part of the Korean
Peninsula, it is commonly called North Korea to distinguish it from South Korea, which is officially called the Republic of Korea in English. Both
governments consider themselves to be the legitimate government of the whole of Korea.[13][14] For this reason, the people do not consider themselves
as 'North Koreans' but as Koreans in the same divided country as their compatriots in the South, and foreign visitors are discouraged from using the
former term.[15]

History
Main article: History of Korea
 The Four Commanderies of Han, established in the former territory
of Gojoseon after the fall of Wiman Joseon. The location of the commanderies has become a
[16]

controversial topic in Korea in recent years. However, the location of the commanderies is not
[17]

controversial outside of Korea. [note 1]

According to Korean mythology in 2333 BCE, the Gojoseon Kingdom was established by the god-king Dangun. Following the unification of the Three
Kingdoms of Korea under Unified Silla in 668 AD, Korea was subsequently ruled by the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) and the Joseon dynasty (1392–
1897). In 1897, King Gojong proclaimed the Korean Empire, which was annexed by the Empire of Japan in 1910.[18]

From 1910 to the end of World War II in 1945, Korea was under Japanese rule. Most Koreans were peasants engaged in subsistence farming.[19] In the
1930s, Japan developed mines, hydro-electric dams, steel mills, and manufacturing plants in northern Korea and neighboring Manchuria.[20] The Korean
industrial working class expanded rapidly, and many Koreans went to work in Manchuria.[21] As a result, 65% of Korea's heavy industry was located in
the north, but, due to the rugged terrain, only 37% of its agriculture.[22]

Northern Korea had little exposure to modern, Western ideas.[23] One partial exception was the penetration of religion. Since the arrival of missionaries
in the late nineteenth century, the northwest of Korea, and Pyongyang in particular, had been a stronghold of Christianity.[24] As a result, Pyongyang
was called the "Jerusalem of the East".[25]

A Korean guerrilla movement emerged in the mountainous interior and in Manchuria, harassing the Japanese imperial authorities. One of the most
prominent guerrilla leaders was the Communist Kim Il Sung.[26]

Founding
Main article: Division of Korea

Kim Il Sung, the founder of North Korea

After the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II in 1945, the Kore