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GDP:

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Type of government: "Communist State under Totalitarian Dictatorship... People have civil and political rights but they are superseded by safeguarding the political and ideological unity of the people."

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Key Figures

Chief of State:

President Kim Yong Nam

Head of Government:

State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un

Overview

Government Name:

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Constitution:

Adopted: 1942; Last amended in 2012. Establishes status as a socialist state and defined as a dictatorship of people's democracy. People have civil and political rights but they are superseded by safeguarding the political and ideological unity of the people.

Government Type:

Communist State under Totalitarian Dictatorship.

Coat of Arms of Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Index of Economic Freedom

Grades each country on a scale of 0 to 100, based on ten freedoms, with 100 representing the greatest amount of economic autonomy from government intervention. Source: Heritage Foundation (2019)

Country Risk Rating

There is no Country Risk Rating for North Korea

Government Branches

Executive

The Cabinet is the administrative and executive body of the highest organ of state power and a general state management organ.

No credible election process.

Until dismissal by the Chief of State.

Judicial

The judiciary does not practice judicial review. The security forces so often interfere with the actions of the judiciary that the conclusion of most cases is foregone. Experts outside North Korea and numerous defectors confirm this to be a widespread problem.

Elections in North Korea are non-competitive and have only single candidate races.

Legislative

The Supreme People's Assembly always passes all proposals by the government into law during its sessions with almost no debate or modification.

Elections in North Korea are non-competitive and have only single candidate races.

Regional Trade Blocs

No Regional Trade Blocs

International Organization Participation

Environmental Agreements

Tax Authority:

Information not available

Tax Name:

Information not available

Sources:

1. ElectionGuide http://www.electionguide.org/

2. EY, http://www.ey.com

3. CIA World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

4. U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/

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Chief of State: President Kim Yong Nam Head of Government: State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un Government Name: Democratic People's Republic of Korea Constitution: Adopted: 1942; Last amended in 2012. Establishes status as a socialist state and defined as a dictatorship of people's democracy.

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Level of education: "...11 free years of education for children from the age of five through 15..."

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Many facets of life in North Korea are kept secret from the world. The business conducted in the nation is very classified, but what about its school systems? How are the youth of North Korea educated?

Education in North Korea is based on socialistic ideals and an efficiency-oriented school system with emphasis on Korean language, mathematics, literature, and the Kims.

Features of the system include 11 free years of education for children from the age of five through 15, no private schools and tight administrative control over the schools by the state administrative system.

Students are given a political education in the " Juche Doctrine" which outlines the Kim Il-sung ideology and revolutionary strategies, illustrating the importance and necessity of collectivistic activities in their nation. Putting these theories into practice are the basis of the North Korean school system.

Not to mention the leader of the communist nation, Kim Jong-un, forces his people to understand the importance of his family. According to a study by the Korea Institute for Curriculum Evaluation, students learn more about the Kims and their history than any other subject.

Each North Korean student is required to learn about the lives of Kim, his late father Kim Jong-il, his grandfather Kim Il-sung and grandmother Kim Jong-suk for at least 684 hours during the curriculum. Jong-il and Il-sung lessons are roughly 171 hours each, while Jung-suk lessons are only 34 hours.

Why is the combination of Kim's history and the three bases used? Simple - to help North Korea maintain its oppressive power.

Students as young as four years old are taught about the greatness of the communist ideology and their leaders, past and present, shaping their minds to believe in the North Korean way. There is an emphasis on math in order to help create future technicians, scientists and workers that the government can rely on to help achieve the nation's goals.

Children are supposed to learn phrases like "Long live Great Leader Generalissimo Kim Il-sung" before "Hello, how are you."

Uniformity is the most common characteristic among schools in North Korea, comparable to the government. Rather than living up to needs of the youth, education in North Korea more closely relates to the political system. Diversity and creativity in North Korean schools are rarely nurtured.

Overall, instead of producing creative and unique individuals, education in North Korea is based on producing more followers and worshippers of the North Korean regime.

- Mary Waller

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Education in North Korea: Exploring School Systems

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Many facets of life in North Korea are kept secret from the world. The business conducted in the nation is very classified, but what about its school systems? How are the youth of North Korea educated?

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Level of wealth: "Neither extreme poverty nor wealth exists in North Korea..."

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Korea, North Poverty and wealth, Information about Poverty and wealth in Korea, North

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Neither extreme poverty nor wealth exists in North Korea, though in general the inhabitants live under conditions that do not match those of people in more modern countries, including their prosperous neighbors in South Korea. The government is committed to providing necessities to every person, but the ruling elite enjoys a more prosperous life than the general population.

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Should North Korea be allowed sovereignty?

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Should North Korea be allowed sovereignty?