Korea, North (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)

North Korea Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Status	Independent State
Capital	Pyongyang
Land Area	120 410km21
Location	Asia
Population	24.6m (2011)2
Life Expectancy	70.52yrs (2017)3
GNI
ISO3166-1 Codes	KP, PRK, 4084
Internet Domain	.kp5
Currency	Won (KPW)6
Telephone	+8507

1. Overview
2. North Korea National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Human Rights, Equality and Freedom
5. Religion and Beliefs
6. Public Health Issues
7. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
8. Links

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1. Overview

“An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea was occupied by Japan beginning in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War. Five years later, Japan formally annexed the entire peninsula. Following World War II, Korea was split with the northern half coming under Soviet-sponsored Communist control. After failing in the Korean War (1950-53) to conquer the US-backed Republic of Korea (ROK) in the southern portion by force, North Korea (DPRK), under its founder President KIM Il Sung, adopted a policy of ostensible diplomatic and economic "self-reliance" as a check against outside influence. The DPRK demonized the US as the ultimate threat to its social system through state-funded propaganda, and molded political, economic, and military policies around the core ideological objective of eventual unification of Korea under Pyongyang's control. KIM Il Sung's son, KIM Jong Il, was officially designated as his father's successor in 1980, assuming a growing political and managerial role until the elder KIM's death in 1994. KIM Jong Un was publicly unveiled as his father's successor in September 2010. Following KIM Jong Il's death in December 2011, the regime began to take actions to transfer power to KIM Jong Un and KIM has now assumed many his father's former titles and duties. After decades of economic mismanagement and resource misallocation, the DPRK since the mid-1990s has relied heavily on international aid to feed its population. The DPRK began to ease restrictions to allow semi-private markets, starting in 2002, but then sought to roll back the scale of economic reforms in 2005 and 2009. North Korea's history of regional military provocations; proliferation of military-related items; long-range missile development; WMD programs including tests of nuclear devices in 2006, 2009, and 2013; and massive conventional armed forces are of major concern to the international community.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₈

“Most people form their opinions of North Korea from news reports and James Bond movies, but there´s more to the Democratic People´s Republic than military parades and stand-offs with the UN. No country in the world provokes a similar reaction to North Korea. Now on its third hereditary ruler, this nominally communist state and by-product of the Cold War has defied all expectation and survived a quarter of a century since perestroika dismantled the rest of the once-vast Soviet empire.

Most people don´t even know that it´s possible to travel here, and indeed the compromises required to do so are significant. You´ll be accompanied by two government minders at all times and only hear a one-sided account of history. Those who can´t accept this might be better off staying away - but those who can will have a fascinating trip into another, unsettling world.

With your official minders, you can roam mountain resorts and ancient capitals, though the main attractions remain the bombastic iconography of the North Korean regime and the surreal existence of ordinary people in this troubled, autocratic state.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₉

2. North Korea National and Social Development

#human_development

Social & Moral Development Index10
Pos.		Higher is better Points10
1	Denmark	84.0
2	Sweden	83.9
3	Finland	83.5
	...
145	Bangladesh	45.3
146	San Marino	45.1
147	Rwanda	45.0
148	N. Korea	45.0
149	Malawi	45.0
150	Comoros	44.8
151	Venezuela	44.7
152	Liberia	44.7
	World Avg	53.8
q=198.

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

#demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #North_Korea #overpopulation #population

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)11
Pos.		Lower is better Per 10011
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
107	Brunei	16.2
108	El Salvador	17.3
109	Panama	17.7
110	N. Korea	17.8
111	Turkey	18.0
112	Vietnam	18.3
113	Tunisia	18.6
114	Azerbaijan	18.7
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Emigrants (2010)12
Pos.		%12
1	Dominica	104.8
2	Palestine	68.4
3	Samoa	67.3
	...
166	Cameroon	1.4
167	Malawi	1.4
168	Congo, DR	1.3
169	N. Korea	1.3
170	Thailand	1.2
171	UAE	1.2
172	Mongolia	1.2
173	Kenya	1.1
	World Avg	11.5
q=192.

Fertility Rate (2013)13
Pos.		2.0 is best13
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
4	France	1.99
5	Turkey	2.04
6	Australia	1.96
7	Uruguay	2.05
8	Norway	1.95
9	Myanmar (Burma)	1.95
10	Indonesia	2.07
11	Sweden	1.93
12	Tunisia	1.93
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Immigrants (2010)12
Pos.		%12
1	Qatar	86.5
2	Monaco	71.6
3	UAE	70.0
	...
183	Colombia	0.2
184	Madagascar	0.2
185	Myanmar (Burma)	0.2
186	N. Korea	0.2
187	Morocco	0.2
188	Cuba	0.1
189	Peru	0.1
190	Vietnam	0.1
	World Avg	9.2
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015)14
Pos.		Higher is better Years14
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
111	Ukraine	71.13
112	Azerbaijan	70.90
113	Kyrgyzstan	70.79
114	N. Korea	70.52
115	Trinidad & Tobago	70.52
116	Russia	70.26
117	Fiji	70.15
118	Belize	70.08
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Population (2012)15
Pos.		The Overpopulation of the Earth15
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
	...
46	Uzbekistan	28.1m
47	Yemen	25.6m
48	Ghana	25.5m
49	N. Korea	24.6m
50	Mozambique	24.5m
51	Australia	22.9m
52	Madagascar	21.9m
53	Romania	21.4m
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

North Korea's population is predicted to rise to 26.18 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 2.00. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

• The Overpopulation of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

4. Human Rights, Equality and Freedom

#equality #freedom #human_rights #north_korea #politics #tolerance

This is a fully totalitarian dictatorship with no pretence to embrace any modern concept of human rights nor personal freedom_16,17. N. Korea does worse than average in LGBT equality₁₈. It falls into the bottom 20 in commentary from Human Rights Watch₁₉, its Global Peace Index rating₂₀ and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₁. It is second-from-the-bottom in fighting corruption₂₂ and in supporting press freedom₂₃. And finally, it is the worst in eliminating modern slavery₂₄. Of the millions of North Koreans subject to slavery, the "clear majority" are being held in forced labour by the state itself₂₅. The Lonely Planet guide for traveller says that visiting North Korea is "a fascinating trip into another, unsettling world... with your official minders, you can roam mountain resorts and ancient capitals, though the main attractions remain the bombastic iconography of the North Korean regime and the surreal existence of ordinary people in this troubled, autocratic state"₉.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Korea, North

5. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #hinduism #islam #judaism

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₂₆:

Christian	2%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	1.5%
Folk Religion	12.3%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	71.3%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way). note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom₂₇.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems

6. Public Health Issues

#alcohol #health #North_Korea #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)28
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100028
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
4	Hong Kong	3.2
5	Slovenia	3.8
6	Singapore	3.8
7	Netherlands	4.0
8	Denmark	4.0
9	Japan	4.1
10	Cyprus	5.0
11	Sweden	5.7
12	Norway	5.9
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Alcohol Consumption (2010)29
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita29
1	Libya	0.1
2	Pakistan	0.1
3	Kuwait	0.1
	...
60	Congo, DR	3.6
61	Samoa	3.6
62	Sri Lanka	3.7
63	N. Korea	3.7
64	Guatemala	3.8
65	Central African Rep.	3.8
66	Congo, (Brazzaville)	3.9
67	Honduras	4.0
	World Avg	6.2
q=191.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)30
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %30
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
82	Germany	94.0
83	Lithuania	93.9
84	Estonia	93.9
85	N. Korea	93.8
86	Italy	93.8
87	Austria	93.8
88	Argentina	93.7
89	Bulgaria	93.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Smoking Rates (2014)31
Pos.		Lower is better31
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
94	Malaysia	584
95	Seychelles	590
96	Jamaica	593
97	N. Korea	610
98	Fiji	618
99	Cambodia	645
100	Equatorial Guinea	649
101	Singapore	652
	World Avg	819
q=182.

7. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries

There isn't much information in the database for North Korea, most likely because it is either a part of another country (i.e., a territory or posession) and therefore most international statistics are counted for the country as a whole, or, this is such an exotic place that little data exists about it.