NORTH KOREA
RESTRICTED ACCESS NATION

North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is a state in East Asia in the northern half of the Korean Peninsula, with its capital in the city of Pyongyang.

To the south and separated by the Korean Demilitarized Zone is South Korea, with which it formed one nation until division following World War II. At its northern Amnok River border are China and, separated by the Tumen River in the extreme north-east, Russia.

HISTORY:

In the aftermath of the Japanese occupation of Korea, which ended with Japan's defeat in World War II in 1945, the Soviet Union accepted the surrender of Japanese forces and controlled the area north of the 38th parallel with the United States controlling the area south of this parallel. It was a big part of the war. This arrangement was the creation of American leaders of the time and the dual occupation was done without consulting the Korean people. Virtually all Koreans welcomed liberation from Japanese imperial rule, yet objected to re-imposition of foreign rule upon their country. The Soviets and Americans disagreed on the implementation of Joint Trusteeship over Korea, with each establishing its socio-economic system upon its jurisdiction, leading, in 1948, to the establishment of ideologically opposed governments. The United States and the Soviet Union then withdrew their forces from Korea. Growing tensions and border skirmishes between north and south led to the civil war called the Korean War.

On June 25, 1950, the (North) Korean People's Army crossed the 38th Parallel with the war aim of peninsular reunification under their political system. The war continued until July 27, 1953, when the United Nations Command, the Korean People's Army, and the Chinese People's Volunteer Army signed the Korean War Armistice Agreement. Since that time the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) has separated the North and South.

In the aftermath of the Korean War and throughout the 1960s the country's state-controlled economy grew at a significant rate. It was also considered the 2nd-most industrialized nation in Asia, after Japan. In the 1970s the expansion of North Korea's economy, with the accompanying rise in living standards, came to an end and a few decades later went into reverse. The country struggled throughout the 1990s, largely due to the loss of strategic trade arrangements with the USSR and strained relations with China following China's normalization with South Korea in 1992. In addition, North Korea experienced record-breaking floods (1995 and 1996) followed by several years of equally severe drought beginning in 1997. This, compounded with only 18 percent arable land and an inability to import the goods necessary to sustain industry, led to an immense famine and left North Korea in economic shambles. Large numbers of North Koreans illegally entered the People's Republic of China in search of food. Faced with a country in decay, Kim Jong-Il adopted a "Military-First" policy to reinforce the regime.

Since the late 1990s North Korean economy gradually converts into a semi-capitalistic one; although private property is still formally prohibited, the volume of private trade with China grows year by year. The collapse of the system of state allowances also contributed into the growth of multi-sectoral market economy. Collapse of large state-owned enterprises released a huge amount of workers who engage in cross-border trade with China.

RELIGION:

Though the North Korean constitution allows freedom of religion, free religious activities no longer exist as the government sponsors religious groups only to create an illusion of religious freedom. In practical terms all religion in North Korea is superseded by a cult of personality devoted to the deceased ruler Kim Il-Sung and his heir, Kim Jong-Il.

Pyongyang was the centre of Christian activity in Korea before the Korean War. Today, two state-sanctioned churches exist, which freedom of religion advocates say are showcases for foreigners. Official government statistics report that there are 10,000 Protestants and 4,000 Roman Catholics in North Korea.