North Korea - Βόρεια Κορέα

THE North Korea is her country East Asia with an area of ​​120,540 sq.km. and a population of 25,281,000 (United Nations average estimate for 2016) (ranked 49th). It occupies the northern part of the Korean Peninsula and is bordered on the north and northwest by the Amnok (Yalu) and Tumen rivers. China, northeast with a small section of the river Tumen with the Russia and south with South Korea. The demilitarized zone defines the border between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. Its name, Korea, comes from the Kingdom of Koryo (Goguryeo).

At a glance

Korea was annexed by the Empire of Japan in 1910. Following Japanese surrender at the end of World War II in 1945, Korea was divided into two zones by the United States and the Soviet Union, with the Soviet-occupied north and south by the Americans. Reunification negotiations failed, and in 1948 two separate governments were formed: the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north, and the Republic of Korea in the south. The attempt by the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Kim Il Sung to unite the two governments led to a three-year conflict (1950-1953) at the behest of the Americans. Although the ceasefire agreement resulted in a ceasefire, no formal peace treaty was ever signed.

North Korea is one of the few remaining countries in the world that is ruled by a peculiar socialist regime (Juche) (Juche, 주체). Juche is North Korea's national ideology, and according to it, the means of production are state-owned through state-owned enterprises and collectivized farms. Most services, such as health care, education, housing and food production, are state-funded.

North Korea is an autonomous socialist state holding elections. Mention should be made of the elaborate cult of the personality of Kim Il Sung and his family. It is not possible to compare it successfully with any other country in the modern world, due to its diversity politically, culturally and economically. The North Korean Workers' Party holds power in the state and leads the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Homeland, of which all politicians must be members.

The state also pursues a policy of military reinforcement (English: 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. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has about 1,210,000 active troops, making it the fourth largest active military force in the world, after China, the United States and India. It also has nuclear weapons.

The official language is Korean. Kim Jong-il, the country's leader since 1994, passed away on December 17, 2011. His successor is Kim Jong-un's son.

Appropriate visit period

On July

Languages

Only in Korean.

Areas

Important cities

Additional tourist destinations

How to get there

By air

By train

By road

By boat

How to move

What to see

Entertainment

Transactions and purchases

Cost

Local cuisine

Local drinks

Tourist infrastructure

Studies

Job opportunities

There are no official figures for the country's economy. In 1997 there was a famine, which forced the country to seek international help for the first time, as much of the population was in a state of malnutrition. North Korea is one of the most isolated countries in the world, as its citizens are not allowed to travel abroad, and to travel there one has to wait a long time (especially if one is a journalist) to be granted entry. For example, a Greek journalist of the MEGA channel, Sotiris Danezis, waited two years to get an entry permit, in order to go and shoot a documentary. Also, Frangiska Megaloudi is the only Greek woman living in North Korea.

Stay safe

Health and precautions

Respect local customs

Communications