Long-form name: Democratic People's Republic of Korea; abbreviated DPRK

Type: Communist state; one-man rule

Capital: P'yongyang

Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 3 special cities* (jikhalsi, singular and plural); Chagang-do, Hamgyong-namdo, Hamgyong-bukto, Hwanghae-namdo, Hwanghae-bukto, Kaesong-si*, Kangwon-do, Namp'o-si*, P'yongan-bukto, P'yongan-namdo, P'yongyang-si*, Yanggang-do

Independence: 9 September 1948

Constitution: adopted 1948, revised 27 December 1972

Legal system: based on German civil law system with Japanese influences and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Independence Day, 9 September (1948)

Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, premier, nine vice premiers, State Administration Council (cabinet)

Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme People's Assembly (Choe Ko In Min Hoe Ui)

Judicial branch: Central Court

Leaders: Chief of State--President KIM Il-song (since 28 December 1972); Designated Successor KIM Chong-Il (son of President, born 16 February 1942); Head of Government--Premier YON Hyong-muk (since NA December 1988)

Political parties and leaders: only party--Korean Workers' Party (KWP); Kim Il-song, General Secretary, and his son, Kim Chong-Il, Secretary, Central Committee

Suffrage: universal at age 17

Elections: President--last held 29 December 1986 (next to be held December 1990); results--President Kim Il Song was reelected without opposition; Supreme People's Assembly--last held on 2 November 1986 (next to be held November 1990, but the constitutional provision for elections every four years is not always followed); results--KWP is the only party; seats--(655 total) KWP 655; the KWP approves a single list of candidates who are elected without opposition

Communists: KWP claims membership of about 2 million, or about one-tenth of population

Member of: ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, IMO, IPU, ITU, NAM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WTO, UNIDO, WMO; official observer status at UN

Diplomatic representation: none

Flag: three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in white; on the hoist side of the red band is a white disk with a red five-pointed star

NOTE: The information regarding Korea, North on this page is re-published from the 1990 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Korea, North Government 1990 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Korea, North Government 1990 should be addressed to the CIA.