Asia > Korea, North > Government

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Administrative divisions 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 4 municipalities (si, singular and plural) provinces: Chagang-do (Chagang), Hamgyong-bukto (North Hamgyong), Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong), Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae), Hwanghae-namdo (South Hwanghae), Kangwon-do (Kangwon), P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan), P'yongan-namdo (South P'yongan), Yanggang-do (Yanggang) municipalities: Kaesong-si (Kaesong), Najin Sonbong-si (Najin-Sonbong), Namp'o-si (Namp'o), P'yongyang-si (Pyongyang)
Ambassadors from Finland > Current Finnish Ambassadors > Ambassador	Antti Kuosmanen
Capital city	Pyongyang
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	39 01 N, 125 45 E
Capital city > Name	Pyongyang
Capital city > Time difference UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitution adopted 1948; completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in April 1992, and September 1998
countries' copyright length > Usual term of copyright protection	Berne
date of transition to republican system of government > Republic since	October 29, 1923
Diplomatic representation from the US none; note - Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang represents the US as consular protecting power
Diplomatic representation in the US none; North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York
Executive branch > Cabinet Naegak (cabinet) members, except for Minister of People's Armed Forces, are appointed by SPA
Executive branch > Chief of state KIM Jong Il (since July 1994); note - on 3 September 2003, rubberstamp Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) reelected KIM Jong Il chairman of the National Defense Commission, a position accorded nation's "highest administrative authority"; SPA reelected KIM Yong Nam president of its Presidium also with responsibility of representing state and receiving diplomatic credentials
Executive branch > Election results KIM Jong Il and KIM Yong Nam were only nominees for positions and ran unopposed
Executive branch > Elections last held in September 2003 (next to be held in September 2008)
Executive branch > Head of government Premier KIM Yong Il (since 11 April 2007); Vice Premiers KWAK Pom Gi (since 5 September 1998), JON Sung Hun (since 3 September 2003), RO Tu Chol (since 3 September 2003), THAE Jong Su (since 16 October 2007)
Flag description 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
Flag modification	8		[145th of 197]
Foreign relations > Croatia > Date of Establishment	November 30, 1992
Foreign relations > Nepal > Date of Establishment	May 15, 1974
Foreign relations of Western Sahara > States recognizing the SADR > Date of recognition	March 16, 1976
Government type Communist state one-man dictatorship
Independence 15 August 1945 (from Japan)
Independence Day > Date	September 9
International organization participation ARF, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Judicial branch Central Court (judges are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly)
Kuala Lumpur embassies > Neighborhood	Taman U-Thant
Legal system based on Prussian civil law system with Japanese influences and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Legislative branch > Election results percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected without opposition; some seats are held by minor parties
Legislative branch > Elections last held 3 August 2003 (next to be held in August 2008)
Management time dealing with officials > % of management time	3.21 %		[25th of 38]
National holiday Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), 9 September
Parliamentary seats > Female	20%		[22nd of 143]
Policy uncertainty > % of managers surveyed ranking this as a major business constraint	40.44 %		[4th of 38]
Political parties and leaders major party - Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Jong Il]; minor parties - Chondoist Chongu Party [RYU Mi Yong] (under KWP control), Social Democratic Party [KIM Yong Dae] (under KWP control)
Political pressure groups and leaders	none
Prime minister	Pak Pong-ju
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament > %	20.1 %		[55th of 174]
Status	dictatorship
Suffrage 17 years of age; universal
Trademarks, nonresidents	6,112		[23rd of 99]
Trademarks, nonresidents (per capita)	302.611 per 1 million people		[80th of 146]
Trademarks, residents	14,239		[16th of 98]
Trademarks, residents (per capita)	704.986 per 1 million people		[23rd of 142]
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International risking arrest, imprisonment, and deportation, tens of thousands of North Koreans cross into China to escape famine, economic privation, and political oppression; North Korea and China dispute the sovereignty of certain islands in Yalu and Tumen rivers; Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic incidents in the Yellow Sea with South Korea which claims the Northern Limiting Line as a maritime boundary; North Korea supports South Korea in rejecting Japan's claim to Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima)
UN membership date	17 Sep. 1991

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