Democratic People's
Republic of Korea Country brief - May 2008
Overview
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (the DPRK or North Korea) is a centralist state that conducts its affairs on the basis of "Juche", a constitutionally enshrined ideology characterised by the goals of independence and self-reliance. The deceased leader Kim Il-sung, (also referred to as the "Great Leader") formulated the ideology of "Juche", and its principles continue to guide the DPRK government, now led by his son, Kim Jong-il.
Key Political Figures
Kim Jong-il |
Son and heir of Kim Il-sung, Korean Workers' Party (KWP) General Secretary, National Defence Commission (NDC) Chairman and commander-in-chief |
Kim Yong-nam |
President of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) Presidium (performs formalities of head of state) |
Jo Myong-rok |
Vice-marshal, first vice-chairman of NDC |
Kim Yong-il |
Prime Minister |
Pak Ui-chun |
Foreign Minister |
Bilateral Relationship
History
Australia has long recognised two states on the Korean Peninsula - the Republic of Korea (the ROK or South Korea) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea). Through the 1960s and 1970s, while Australia's relationship with the ROK prospered and grew on the basis of trade complementarity and shared regional concerns, contacts with the DPRK remained limited. Working-level talks began with the DPRK in 1972. Practical working contacts in the area of trade were agreed and a senior DPRK trade delegation visited Australia in July 1973.
In July 1974, Australia agreed to establish diplomatic relations with the DPRK. The DPRK established an Embassy in Canberra in December 1974, with Australia opening an Embassy in Pyongyang in May 1975. However, diplomatic relations with the DPRK were interrupted in November 1975, when the DPRK withdrew its Embassy from Canberra and expelled the staff of the Australian Embassy in Pyongyang.
In the period after 1975, Australia maintained limited and informal contact with the DPRK (please refer to the Chronology of Developments in Australia-DPRK Relations). All contacts ceased during the nuclear crisis (1993-94) on the Korean peninsula, but resumed with a number of unofficial or privately sponsored visits by DPRK delegations to Australia in the late 1990s.
The first steps towards the re-establishment of the bilateral relationship took place in 1999, with officials' talks between the two countries. On 8 May 2000, Australia resumed diplomatic relations with the DPRK after 25 years. The DPRK re-opened an Embassy in Canberra in May 2002, but closed for financial reasons on 31 January 2008. The DPRK advised it would continue with non-resident accreditation from another embassy in the region and would reconsider re-opening in Canberra when financial circumstances permitted. Australia’s Ambassador in Beijing is accredited to the DPRK.
In November 2002, following a series of escalatory steps by the DPRK, Australia put the development of bilateral relations on hold until the DPRK took steps to address international concerns over its nuclear weapons programs. In September 2006, Australia implemented sanctions against 12 companies and one individual connected with financing the DPRK’s development of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction programs. In October 2006, Australia imposed new bilateral measures in response to the 9 October 2006 DPRK nuclear test, including restrictions on the issuance of visas to DPRK nationals, with limited humanitarian and diplomatic exceptions, and a ban on DPRK-flagged vessels from entering Australian ports. Australia has also fully implemented is obligations under UN Security council Resolution 1718.
Further information on UNSCR 1718 measures that apply under Australian law.
Chronology of Developments in Australia-DPRK Relations
Commercial Links
Australian companies can pursue business opportunities in the DPRK, or with DPRK companies provided that they do not contravene existing export control regulations and sanctions against the DPRK introduced following its nuclear test in October 2006 . Australian companies should be aware of the poor payments record of many DPRK agencies in past commercial ventures.
Two-way trade is negligible.
Australian Humanitarian Assistance to the DPRK
Australia temporarily suspended bilateral development assistance to the DPRK following an escalation of tensions prompted by revelations in 2002 about the DPRK's nuclear program.
Australia has continued to provide humanitarian assistance to the DPRK via UN and other multilateral agencies. Since 1995, Australia has provided over A$65 million in humanitarian assistance to the DPRK. Most recently, Australia contributed A$4 million to international relief efforts following severe floods in North Korea in mid-August 2007. Australia has repeatedly urged the DPRK to ensure that multilateral humanitarian organisations are provided with appropriate conditions for aid monitoring and delivery so that Australia’s humanitarian assistance can continue uninterrupted through these channels.
Political Overview
DPRK Government
Overview
The DPRK adopted Marxism-Leninism as its ruling philosophy when it proclaimed its establishment in 1948, but in a Constitutional revision in 1972, supplemented it with the juche ideology, or national self-reliance. The two philosophies were combined as "the juche idea of the Worker's Party of Korea, a creative application of Marxism-Leninism to the conditions of our country". In 1980, the official ideology was simplified as "the juche thought of the Great Leader, Kim Il-Sung". According to the DPRK Constitution, juche is "a revolutionary ideology with a people-centred view of the world that aims to realise the independence of the masses, the guiding principle of its actions". Juche consists of two parts: the philosophical theory that claims the masses are the masters of history and the revolution; and the principle that the masses need the guidance of a leader (the deceased Kim Il-Sung and his son, Kim Jong-Il) to fulfil their destiny.
Political System
The DPRK political system is a rigid communist dictatorship led by the Korean Workers' Party (KWP) and its leader. The Constitution divides power between the KWP and the State Administrative Council, but many senior figures hold positions in both the Party and the bureaucracy.
The KWP is the DPRK's top political institution. Important positions in the government, economy and the military are held by party members or officials while KWP Secretaries generally exercise greater authority over policy and administrative issues than government Ministers. Until his death in July 1994, Kim Il-sung held all key party positions including KWP General-Secretary, Member of the Presidium of the Politburo and Chairman of the Central Military Commission. Kim's second son, Kim Jong-il, was appointed General-Secretary on 8 October 1997. Although open to mass membership, access to the Party is denied to those without a 'reliable' class background. Official party membership is estimated at over three million.
The highest body of the KWP, in theory, is the Party Congress. Between Party Congresses, the top decision-making body of the KWP is the Central Committee. The Central Committee appoints the General-Secretary (who heads the KWP), appoints the KWP's Political Bureau (or Politburo), and directs the Party bureaucracy. The KWP Politburo, responsible for directing Party affairs on a day-to-day basis, usually consists of ten full members and fifteen associate members, selected from the ranks of the Central Committee.
State Institutions
The Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), the highest legislative body under the DPRK Constitution, is a unicameral body of 687 elected delegates, each representing around 30,000 people. In theory, the SPA appoints the President, enacts laws and sets forth the country's basic policies, including foreign and defence policy, and approves the national budget.
Until September 1998, the Central People's Committee, appointed by the SPA, was the top policy and executive decision-making body and the President its Chairman. The Committee combined executive, judicial and legislative functions and provided guidance to the Administrative Council, the highest administrative arm of the government.
The 1998 constitutional reorganisation saw the effective abolition of the Presidency and the Central People's Committee. Kim Il-sung was declared President eternal while the functions of both offices were transferred to a newly established SPA Presidium. The formal duties of head of state are now performed by the president of the Presidium, currently former foreign minister Kim Yong-nam. Meanwhile, the National Defence Commission, though nominally under the SPA, was confirmed as the highest state body, with ultimate executive power (including responsibility for the armed forces) resting with its chairman, Kim Jong-il.
The State Administrative Council, the top administrative body with responsibility for overseeing government Ministries and administration on a day-to-day basis, was renamed simply the Cabinet and streamlined to comprise a premier, two vice-premiers and 27 ministers. The country is divided into thirteen major administrative districts - four special cities and nine provinces - each headed by a Local Administrative Committee that is directly responsible to the Administrative Council.
Defence and Military Overview
The DPRK has placed a high priority on maintaining a strong defence capability, with most aspects of the economy and society revolving around defence-related programs. For many years, Pyongyang has mounted an extensive effort to prepare the population for war and has consistently proclaimed its overriding objective of reunifying the Korean Peninsula, by force if necessary. The DPRK maintains a standing army of around 900,000 soldiers, with another 600,000 active reservists. In response, the ROK has built a defence force capable of repelling any DPRK surprise attack and maintaining peace on the Peninsula. Both the ROK and the United States consider that a continuing US military presence in the ROK remains an effective deterrent against DPRK aggression.
Republic of Korea Ministry of National Defence
More information on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
DPRK Key Party, State and Government Office Holders (as at January 2008)
Korean Workers' Party (KWP) Central Committee
General Secretary |
Kim Jong-Il |
State Organisations: |
Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) |
SPA Presidium: |
President: Kim Yong-nam |
Military
National Defence Commission |
|
Chairman |
Kim Jong-Il |
Supreme Commander Korean People's Army: |
Kim Jong-Il (with rank of Marshal) |
Marshal: |
Ri Ul-sol |
Chief of General Staff: |
Kim Yong-chun |
Director Political Department: |
Jo Myong-rok |
Key Cabinet Ministers
Prime Minister |
Kim Yong-il |
Foreign Affairs |
Pak Ui-chun |
Foreign Trade |
Rim Kyong-man |
Public Security |
Ju Sang-song |
Defence |
Kim Il-chol |
Foreign Relations
The DPRK's relations with the rest of the world deteriorated following its admission to US officials in October 2002 that it was pursuing a highly-enriched-uranium program in clear breach of the DPRK's international obligations. To find a peaceful resolution to the DPRK nuclear issue, six-party talks were initiated in August 2003 between the DPRK, the ROK, China, the United States, Japan and Russia (for more detail on the six-party process, see the Timeline of Events relating to the DPRK Nuclear Issue).
In 2000, the DPRK established or restored diplomatic relations with a number of countries including Australia (8 May), and was also accepted into the ASEAN Regional Forum (27 July). Pyongyang hosted the historic inter-Korean leaders' summit from 13-15 June 2000, which resulted in a landmark Joint Statement by the leaders of the DPRK and the ROK. The two Koreas held another summit meeting in Pyongyang 2-4 October 2007.
The policy of engagement pursued by former ROK President, Kim Dae-jung, led to a substantial reduction of tensions between the DPRK and the ROK between 2000 and 2002. The first steps towards family reunions and the development of transport links across the border were taken, and a series of annual economic talks were instituted. Kim Dae-Jung's successor, President Roh Moo-hyun, continued the policy of engagement, but President Lee Myung-bak, inaugurated on 25 February 2008, has indicated his DPRK policy will be based on reciprocity, with non-humanitarian aid to the DPRK conditional on denuclearisation.
US-DPRK relations have always been difficult, based on old animosities and suspicions stemming from the Korean War and threats by the DPRK to conduct all-out military attacks on the ROK, and more recently, the DPRK's missile and nuclear tests. US-DPRK relations developed under the Clinton Administration, but then deteriorated following the re-emergence of the nuclear issue in October 2002.
Timeline of Events relating to the DPRK Nuclear Issue
Economic Overview
The DPRK retains a centrally planned economy outside international economic, banking and trade systems. The DPRK is one of the poorest countries in the world, and has fallen far behind the ROK in economic development and living standards (per capita GDP has been estimated at one-sixteenth that of the ROK). It relies heavily on humanitarian aid and other forms of assistance. Poor energy supply and distribution remain serious obstacles to economic growth.
In the last decade, the DPRK has introduced a number of economic reforms, including price, wage and agricultural reforms, with the aim of improving the operation of the economy and to increase production. In July 2002, the DPRK introduced reforms which were the first real step away from central planning since 1945. The government announced that subsidies to state-owned enterprises were to be withdrawn, workers would be paid according to how much they produced, farmers' markets, hitherto tolerated, would become legal and state enterprises would be allowed to sell manufactured products in markets. The effect of these reforms upon economic growth appears to have been marginal at best, but prices and wages have increased. Some of the reforms appear to have been rolled back, with the DPRK government reasserting central control over grain distribution in October 2005.
Humanitarian Situation
The DPRK faces a serious humanitarian situation, with severe food shortages in recent years, including a famine following record floods in the summer of 1995. Some sources estimate that, since the 1995 famine, approximately 10 per cent of the DPRK's population has perished from starvation and hunger-related illnesses. While conditions have improved since the peak of the crisis in 1996-97, chronic food shortages are likely to continue for the foreseeable future. Widespread flooding hit the DPRK again in mid-August 2007, causing significant damage to farmland, and the DPRK is facing severe food shortages in the northern spring of 2008. Moreover, the DPRK's health situation remains serious, principally due to resource shortages, lack of drugs and medical supplies. Water and heating systems in hospitals and clinics often do not function. Diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria have re-emerged, while diarrhoea is common due to contaminated and untreated water sources, inadequate sanitation facilities and poor hygiene. Existing health services are unable to tackle the increasing health problems and the prevalence of acute malnutrition.
A joint DPRK/WFP/UNICEF 2002 Nutrition Assessment Survey released in February 2003 found that, while malnutrition rates amongst children have improved considerably over the last four years, gains could be reversed without adequate international support for humanitarian operations.
Australia provides humanitarian assistance to the DPRK, mainly channelled through multilateral organisations such as the World Food Programme (see above - 'Australian Humanitarian Assistance to the DPRK').
Social Conditions and Human Rights
The DPRK Government subjects its citizens to a pervasive program of indoctrination and close surveillance. Although most households have radios and some have television sets, reception is restricted to government broadcasts. All mass organisations are directed at supporting the regime.
Internal travel is strictly controlled, with a travel pass required for any movement outside one's home town. Permission to enter or reside in Pyongyang is required, and foreign travel is limited to officials, sporting teams or trusted artists and performers. Emigration is not allowed and tourism by North Koreans even to other communist countries is unknown. Limited tourism by foreigners to the DPRK has, however, been permitted.
Defectors have claimed that the DPRK detains as many as 200,000 people suspected of political crimes in remote labour camps. There are reports that prisoners often do not receive trials, and some die from torture and ill-treatment. International human rights groups have alleged the DPRK executes political prisoners, opponents of the regime and repatriated defectors. A principle of 'collective retribution' is said to operate in the DPRK, where the families of transgressors are also subjected to punishment, imprisonment or relocation to remote areas.
Foreign Trade
The DPRK's total foreign trade rose from US$390 million in 1965 to US$1.91 billion in 1975 and US$3.1 billion in 1985. By 1994, however, trade had dropped to US$2.11 billion, reflecting the collapse of the Soviet bloc. The share of trade in GNP, which peaked at 29.4 per cent in 1975, declined to 20 per cent in 1985 and 10 per cent in 1994. Although the DPRK has since expanded trade with market economies, the overall value remains low, recording just US$2.9 billion for the year 2002.
The one positive element on the economic horizon has been the DPRK's bilateral trade with the ROK. Inter-Korean Trade has recorded an average annual 20 % growth rate, increasing from US$425.15 million in 2000 to surpass US$1 billion in 2005. In 2007, two-way trade amounted to a record US$1.79 billion, up 33 per cent from US$1.35 billion in 2006. The increases, particularly the export components, are largely attributable to development of the Kaesong industrial complex. Imports into the DPRK from the ROK are largely representative of aid flows while exports to the ROK are commercial in nature. Total DPRK trade with China was US$1.70 billion in 2006, up 7.5% compared to $1.58 billion in 2005.