Information on North Korea

Geography

Where is North Korea located?

Which countries share a

border with North

Korea?

Is North Korea close to

a more powerful

country that it must get

along with?

Are there other nearby

countries that North Korea does not get along with?

The Korean demilitarized

zone

Information on North Korea

Culture

Which ethnicities, religions and languages can be found in North Korea?

• North Korea is ethnically homogeneous (the same) almost everyone is Korean

• Everyone speaks Korean

• The religion was created by and is controlled by the government, there is almost no independent religious activity

How might these factors pertain to North Korea’s world position or relationships with

other countries? Does North Korea naturally support another country because the two

countries are very similar?

• You might think North Koreans would get along with South Koreans, but since the two countries were created by war, the two are bitter enemies.

Information on North Korea

Economy

Who are North Korea’s major trading partners?

NORTH KOREA EXPORTS TO:

• China (42%)• South Korea (38% under

a special trade agreement meant to foster good relations between the countries)

• India (5%)

NORTH KOREA IMPORTS FROM:

• China (57%)• South Korea (25%)• Russia (3%)• Singapore (3%)

What does North Korea export?

• Minerals, metal products, manufactures (including weapons), textiles, agricultural and fishery products

• North Korea does not produce anything that is irreplaceable on the world market

What does North Korea import?

• petroleum, coal, machinery and equipment, textiles, grain

Who does North Korea import oil from? How much oil does North Korea import?

Can North Korea provide any of its own oil? If so, what percent?

• Imports 13,890 barrels a day (129th in the world)

• 90% of this oil comes from China

• North Korea has none of its own oil

Does North Korea’s economy affect its political relationships? Are there countries North Korea absolutely has to get along

with? • North Korea needs to trade with

China (approx. ½ of all North Korea’s trade is with China)

Are there countries North Korea can influence economically?

• North Korea cannot influence other countries through their almost nonexistent trade

What is North Korea’s GDP?

• $40 billion (98th largest in the world). North Korea does not compute and share this information, it is extrapolated from other trade information

North Korea is underdeveloped• Estimated GDP per Capita $1,800

• Small usage of oil

• 35% of the labor force involved in agriculture

• Aid agencies have estimated that up to two million people have died since the mid-1990s because of acute food shortages caused by natural disasters and economic mismanagement. The country relies on foreign aid to feed millions of its people.

What is life like in NK?South Korea North Korea

Infant Mortality Rate 4.26 deaths per 1,000 live births

51.34 deaths per 1,000 live births

Life Expectancy 78.72 years 63.81

Literacy 97.9% 99%

GDP 1,364,000,000,000 40,000,000,000

GDP per Capita $28,100 $1,900

Government Republic Communist Dictatorship

Satellite Photo of NK at Night

Information on North Korea

Politics and Government

What types of ideologies (political, religious or other) influence your

country’s government?     

• North Korea is communist (the government makes all economic decisions)

Is North Korea a democracy or a dictatorship?

• North Korea is a dictatorship under Kim Jung Il. (He has run the country since 1994.) There are no real elections. He runs a cult of personality

His father, Kim Sung-Il,

the “great leader”

set up “modern”

North Korea

Does North Korea hold “real” elections with several candidates running for the same position and the opportunity for most of the population to vote using a

secret ballot?

• No

It is believed he is setting up his son, Kim Jong-un, to rule next

• North Korea is blamed for systematic human rights abuses including torture, public executions, and slave labour. A US-based rights group has estimated that there are up to 200,000 political prisoners in North Korea.

• It should be noted that China is accused of many of these same abuses.

Which countries are considered allies of North Korea? What makes North

Korea their ally?• China is an ally. Initially this

occurred because North Korea was a way for China to irritate the US

• China remains an ally because it is worried about a huge refugee crisis if North Korea fails

Which domestic issues might influence

North Korea’s foreign policy?     • Kim Jung Il is obsessed with the idea

that the world, especially countries like the US and her allies (such as South Korea and Japan), are out to get North Korea. So his response to the US is to try to bully it into doing what he wants.

Information on North Korea

History

1946

• Soviets install a communist government in North Korea which declares independence from South Korea four years later.

1950

• South Korea, assisted by the US, invades North Korea. This becomes known as the Korean War.

1953

• An armistice between North and South Korea is signed. This is still in effect, the countries never signed a peace treaty. The two countries remain divided by a demilitarized zone.

1990s

• Increased military threats by North Korea toward South Korea include– Sending troops into the demilitarized zone– Monitoring South Korea with submarines– Launching of rockets that North Korea calls

“satellites”

2000

• North and South Korea begin diplomatic relations– North stops propaganda broadcasts– A border office is opened– South Korea releases 3,500 prisoners

suspected of being North Korean spies– 100 North Koreans are allowed visits with

their South Korea relatives

2002

• Nuclear tensions mount when North Korea announces it has developed a nuclear weapon.

Information on North Korea

International Organizations

When did North Korea become a member of the UN?   What role does North Korea

play within the UN? What committees does North Korea serve on?

• UN membership – 1991

• North Korea is not a leader in the UN, in fact the UN severely criticizes North Korea

• UN Conference on Trade and Development and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the World Health Organization

Does North Korea belong to any regional organizations such as the European Union (EU), the African Union (AU) or the Arab

League?   

• No

Does North Korea belong to any trade organizations such as the North

American Free Trade Agreement?

• No

Does your country belong to any international groups like the G-8 or the

G-20?

• No

Information on North Korea

Military Power

South Korea North Korea

Total number of soldiers per 1,000 members of the population

173 418

Total number of active soldiers per 10,000 members of the population

13 48

A Nuclear North Korea

The UN’s Attempts to Deal with Nuclear Proliferation

It is believed:

- NK 1st obtained missiles from the former USSR as early as 1969

- Part of a Cold War exchange

- USSR backed NK b/c USA backed SK Pyongyang- Capital of N. Korea

Nuclear Capability

Nuclear Capability con’t

- In 1976 Egypt sold missiles

(called Scud-Bs) to NK

- in exchange for NK’s support of Egypt

against Israel

Nuclear Capability con’t:

- By 1984, NK was developing its own Scud – B missiles

Nuclear Capability con’t:

- Created new missiles called the Scud – C & Nodong, & its first long range missile, the Taepodong – 1.

- Scud missiles could be used to attack SK.

- Nodongs could be used to attack Japan.

What should the UN do about NK’s growing nuclear threat?

The UN conducts peacemaking• NK agrees to freeze its nuclear program

•The West agrees to provide NK with $5 billion worth of free fuel (oil) and two light water (nuclear) reactors to generate electricity.

1996 Famine

What should the UN do and why?

• The UN sends humanitarian aid for the next 9 years

Nuclear Capability

• In 2002, NK admits to having a nuclear weapon.

The US stops shipping oil and building the light water reactors in NK. The UN does not take immediate action.

What should the UN do and why?

NK withdraws from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in 2003

• This treaty is an agreement by nations to not allow the spread nuclear weapons to additional countries– Non-proliferation: an end to the acquisition of nuclear

weapons by countries that do not already have them

• What should the UN do and why?

Six party talks

• North Korea• South Korea• China• Russia• Japan• United States

The UN responds with a request for NK to participate in “six-party talks” whose aim is to convince NK to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for aid.

Nuclear Capability• In 2004, NK developed a new missile the

Taepodong 2 which may be able to reach the West Coast of the US.

Nuclear Capability• Pyongyang test fires a

Taepodong- 2 missile in July 2006.

• Reportedly: a firing range of 6,200 miles. – The missile fails shortly

after takeoff.

What can the UN do and why?

The UN imposed sanctions on the

selling of materials to NK that could be used to create a weapon of

mass destruction.

Also sanctions on the sale of luxury goods to

NK (which is designed to personally insult

Kim Jong-il)

Nuclear Capability

• In October 2006, NK conducts its 1st-ever underground nuclear test

• What can the UN do and why?

The UN imposed sanctions on the selling of military

equipment to NK and conducting financial

services for NK

Nuclear Capability• NK replaces the original Taepodong-2 with

a newer model in January of 2009– It can have 2 or 3 stages giving it an extended

range of up to 10,000 miles.

• The 3-stage Taepodong-2 was used in a failed attempt to launch a satellite in April of 2009

Nuclear Capability• Pyongyang conducts its 2nd underground

nuclear weapons test in May of 2009, this is followed by a demonstration of the firing capacity of its short range missiles

What can the UN do and why?

After the failed satellite launch in April ‘09, the UN condemned NK’s missile launch & tightened existing sanctions

– Inspection of NK ships that may be carrying nuclear materials

– Wider ban on NK arms imports and exports

– Increased vigilance over NK overseas financial dealings

• Pyongyang has subsequently expelled international nuclear monitors and left the six party talks.

• Now what should the UN do and why?

• What is life like inside North Korea? - CNN.com

Recent developments – SK Boat Sinking (3/2010)

N. Korean Shelling of S. Korean Island (11/2010)

North Korea shows off a vast new nuclear facility (11/2010)

NOW what should the UN do and why?

Opinion: Are sanctions working? What should the UN do?

Look for: Labels, Symbolism, Analogy, IronyIf you don’t remember what those are,

take out the political cartoon exercise we did in class to help