North Korea is a small country located in East Asia. It is located on the Korean Peninsula and the official name of the country is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. 1)
The history of the city is very old and dates back to 1222 BC. According to legend, the city was founded on the site of a previous ancient metropolis - Asadal. The first mention of Pyongyang comes from Chinese records made in 108 BC. 2)
Pyongyang is home to more than 3.25 million people which is 12% of the country's population. Other major North Korean cities are Kaesŏng, Sinŭiju, Wŏnsan, and Hamhŭng. 3)
In 1910, Korea (which was then an empire) was conquered by the Japanese Empire. It remained under its rule until the end of World War II. After Japan's surrender, Korea was divided into 2 areas, separated at the 38th parallel north. The north was occupied by the Soviet Union and the south by the United States. 4)
As a result of the failure of negotiations for the reunification of the territory, separate governments were established in the two parts of the country in 1948. Thus, in September 1948, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was established. 5)
The official ideological doctrine of the state is the Juche. It is stated in the 3rd point of the republic's constitution. The Juche is based on four pillars: self-reliance in ideology, independence in politics, economic self-reliance, and self-defense of the country. Created by Kim Ir Sen, the doctrine was adopted only in North Korea and failed to win the hearts of other nations. Among those interested was Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, who introduced elements of it while in power. Sadly, Ceaușescu died (not of natural causes) and the JCU exists only within North Korean borders. 6)
The chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly is also voted in by popular vote once every 5 years. In reality, those holding this position are focused on carrying out formal and protocol functions and guaranteeing and consolidating the power of the dictator - currently Kim Jong Un. As of April 11, 2019, Ch'oe Ryong Hae (as the sixth chairman in the history of the DPRK) holds this position. 7)
Although Kim Ir Sen died on July 8, 1994, he is still considered the head of state today. In the DPRK, Kim Ir Sen serves as eternal president. 8)
North Korea's area is 120,540 square kilometers. As much as 80% of North Korea's land is mountains and highlands. 9)
North Korea is now in the year 111 (2022). All thanks to the juke calendar. 10)
Time travel is normal for North Koreans. In 2015, a special time zone called the “Pyongyang zone” was established. The zone had a half-hour backward shift relative to South Korean time. The Korean government's brilliant idea must have backfired, however, because less than three years later, watches were moved forward again by half an hour and the same time zone applies in both Koreas. 11)
The highest peak in North Korea is Mount Paektu - a dormant stratovolcano. The peak is located in the East Manchurian Mountains on the border of the DPRK and China and is 2744 meters above sea level. At its summit is a volcanic crater, in which the water that forms Heavenly Lake floods. The last eruption of the volcano took place in 1903 and so during the Korean Empire. 12)
Taedong-gang is North Korea's longest river. Its length is 439 kilometers, flowing from north to south, passing through Pyongyang, and flowing into the West Korean Gulf. 13)
The DPRK's rich television offerings include as many as four channels. Each of them is, of course, under the complete supervision of the authorities. The last, launched in August 2015, was the sports channel Cheyug TV. At this stage, the authorities plan to increase the programming by 50%, to six stations.14)
Kwangmyong is in fact an intranet or network cut off from global resources. According to estimates, the Koreans' electronic network may contain about 5,000 sites. A few members of the state's elite are authorized to use the state's global Internet resources. 15)