2. North Korea : A Brief Introduction
North Korea , officially
the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea , is a country
in East Asia constituting the
northern part of the Korean
Peninsula. Pyongyang is the
nation's capital and largest city.
To the north and northwest the
country is bordered by
China and by Russia along
the Amnok (known as the Yalu
in China) and Tumen rivers; it is
bordered to the south by South
Korea, with the heavily
fortified Korean Demilitarized
Zone (DMZ) separating the two.
3. In 1910, Korea was annexed by the
Empire of Japan. After the Japanese
surrender at the end of World War II in
1945, Korea was divided into two
zones along the 38th parallel by
the United States and the Soviet Union,
with the north occupied by the
Soviets and the south by the Americans.
Negotiations on reunification failed, and in
1948, separate governments were
formed: the socialist Democratic People's
Republic of Korea in the north, and the
capitalist Republic of Korea in the south.
An invasion initiated by North Korea led to
the Korean War (1950–1953).
The Korean Armistice Agreement brought
about a ceasefire, but no peace treaty
was signed.
4. North Korea officially describes
itself as a self-reliant socialist
state and formally holds elections.
Critics regard it as a totalitarian
dictatorship. Various media outlets
have called it Stalinist, particularly
noting the elaborate cult of
personality around Kim Il-
sung and his family. International
organizations have assessed
that human rights violations in North
Korea have no parallel in the
contemporary world. The Workers'
Party of Korea (WPK), led by a
member of the ruling family, holds
power in the state and leads
the Democratic Front for the
Reunification of the Fatherland of
which all political officers are
Juche, an ideology of national self-reliance, was
introduced into the constitution as a "creative
application of Marxism–Leninism"in
1972.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 0.24 and 3.5 million people, and the
country continues to struggle with food
production. North Korea follows Songun, or
"military-first" policy.It is the country with the
highest number of military and paramilitary
personnel, with a total of 9,495,000 active,
reserve, and paramilitary personnel. Its active
duty army of 1.21 million is the fourth largest in
the world, after China, the United
States and India.It possesses nuclear weapons.
North Korea is an atheist state with no official
religion and where public religion is
discouraged.
5. Division of Korea
The Korean peninsula had been occupied by
Japan from 1910. On August 9, 1945, in the
closing days of World War Two, the Soviet
Union declared war on Japan and advanced
into Korea. Though the Soviet declaration of
war had been agreed by the Allies at the Yalta
Conference, the US government became
concerned at the prospect of all of Korea
falling under Soviet control. The US
government therefore requested Soviet forces
halt their advance at the 38th parallel north,
leaving the south of the peninsula, including
the capital, Seoul, to be occupied by the US.
This was incorporated into General Order No.
1 to Japanese forces after the Surrender of
Japan on August 15. On August 24, the Red
Army entered Pyongyang and established a
military government over Korea north of the
parallel. American forces landed in the south
on September 8 and established the United
States Army Military Government in Korea.
6. The Allies had originally envisaged a joint trusteeship which
would usher Korea towards independence, but most Korean
nationalists wanted independence immediately. Meanwhile,
the wartime co-operation between the Soviet Union and the
US deteriorated as the Cold War took hold. Both occupying
powers began promoting into positions of authority
Koreans aligned with their side of politics and
marginalizing their opponents. Many of these emerging
political leaders were returning exiles with little popular
support. In North Korea, the Soviet Union supported
Korean Communists. Kim Il-sung, who from 1941 had
served in the Soviet Army, became the major political figure.
Society was centralized and collectivized, following the
Soviet model. Politics in the South was more tumultuous,
but the strongly anti-Communist Syngman Rhee emerged as
the most prominent politician.
7. The US government took the issue to the United Nations, which led to
the formation of the United Nations Temporary Commission on
Korea (UNTCOK) in 1947. The Soviet Union opposed this move and
refused to allow UNTCOK to operate in the North. UNTCOK organised
a general election in the South, which was held on May 10, 1948. The
Republic of Korea was established with Syngman Rhee as President,
and formally replaced the US military occupation on August 15. In North
Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was declared on
September 9, with Kim Il-sung, as prime minister. Soviet occupation
forces left the North on December 10, 1948. US forces left the South the
following year, though the US Korean Military Advisory Group remained
to train the Republic of Korea Army.
As a result, two antagonistic states emerged, with diametrically opposed
political, economic, and social systems. Both opposing governments
considered themselves to be the government of the whole of Korea, and
both saw the division as temporary. The DPRK proclaimed Seoul to be
its official capital, a position not changed until 1972.
8. North Korea invaded the South on June
25, 1950, and swiftly overran most of
the country. In September 1950 United
Nations force, led by the United States,
intervened to defend the South, and
rapidly advanced into North Korea. As
they neared the border with China,
Chinese forces intervened on behalf of
North Korea, shifting the balance of the
war again. Fighting ended on July 27,
1953, with an armistice that
approximately restored the original
boundaries between North and South
Korea. Syngman Rhee refused to sign
the armistice, but reluctantly agreed to
abide by it.The armistice inaugurated an
official ceasefire but did not lead to a
peace treaty. It established the Korean
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a buffer zone
between the two sides, that intersected
the 38th parallel but did not follow it.
Large numbers of people were
displaced as a result of the war,
and many families were divided by
the reconstituted border. In 2007
it was estimated that around
750,000 people remained
separated from immediate family
members, and family reunions
have long been a diplomatic
priority.
9. Kim Jong-un is the
Chairman of the
Workers' Party of
Korea and supreme
leader of the
Democratic People's
Republic of Korea,
commonly referred to
as North Korea. Kim
is the second child of
Kim Jong-il and his
consort Ko Yong-hui.
10. The Only General in
the World Without
Military Experience
Underwent Cosmetic
Surgery to Resemble
Eternal Leader
Grandfather
Supreme
Leader Obliterated
His Uncle, Formerly
Second-in-Command
Great Leader By
Default
Secretly Attended
School in
Switzerland
He’s Not Insane –
He’s Power Mad
11. North Korea–United States
relations
North Korea–United States
relations are hostile and have
developed primarily during
the Korean War, during which the
U.S. Air Force bombed
and napalmed parts of North
Korea leaving 20% of its
population dead. In recent years
relations have been largely
defined by North Korea's five tests
of nuclear weapons, its
development of long-range
missiles capable of striking targets
thousands of miles away, and its
ongoing threats to strike the
United States and South Korea
with nuclear weapons and
conventional forces. During his
presidency, George W.
Bush referred to North Korea as
part of "The Axis of evil" because
As the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea
and the United States of
America have no
formal diplomatic relations,
the Kingdom of
Sweden (an EU member
state) acts as
the protecting power of
United States interests in
North Korea for consular
matters. Since the Korean
War, the United States has
maintained a strong military
presence in South Korea.
12. In 2015, according to Gallup's annual
World Affairs survey, only 9% of
Americans have a favourable view of
North Korea, while 87% of Americans
have a negative view. According to a
2014 BBC World Service Poll, only 4%
of Americans view North Korea's
influence positively with 90%
expressing a negative view, one of the
most negative perceptions of North
Korea in the world.
13.
14. Kim Jong-un has reportedly ordered more than 600,000
residents to evacuate Pyongyang as tensions with the
US escalate.
Around 25 per cent of the capital’s population have
been told to leave, Russian newspaper Pravda Report
has said.
Satellite images appear the show that Kim Jong-un is
preparing to launch a nuclear test at North Korea’s
Punggye-ri test site.
North 38 reports that the images show “continued
activity” at the site, which appears to be “primed and
ready” for what would be the hermit state’s sixth
nuclear test.
15. Tensions have escalated after America
sent an aircraft carrier to waters off the
Korean peninsula in response to several
provocative missile launches by Kim
Jong-un's regime.
State-owned news agency KCNA quoted
the Foreign Ministry as saying Trump’s
deployment showed “reckless moves for
invading” that had now “reached a
serious phase”.
The statement added: "We will hold the
US wholly accountable for the
catastrophic consequences to be
entailed by its outrageous actions.”
Although the US Navy strike group has
been sent towards the Korean
peninsula, Washington has previously
leaned towards sanctions and pressure
to deter North Korea.
The US is highly unlikely to launch
an attack on North Korea because
the move could possibly escalate
tensions all the way to nuclear war.
But the Trump administrations is
keeping all options on the table,
with Donald Trump tweeting:
"North Korea is looking for trouble.
"If China decides to help, that
would be great. If not, we will
solve the problem without them!"
Neverthless America recognises
that the importance of having a
joint approach with China, which
remains North Korea’s most
important trading partner and ally
in the regio
16. The US is highly unlikely to launch an attack on North
Korea because the move could possibly escalate tensions
all the way to nuclear war.
But the Trump administrations is keeping all options on
the table, with Donald Trump tweeting: "North Korea is
looking for trouble.
"If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we
will solve the problem without them!"
Neverthless America recognises that the importance of
having a joint approach with China, which remains North
Korea’s most important trading partner and ally in the
regio