isions: racially homogeneous

Religion: Buddhism and Confucianism; religious activities now almost
nonexistent

Language: Korean

Literacy: 95% (est.)

Labor force: 9,615,000; 36% agricultural, 64% nonagricultural; shortage
of skilled and unskilled labor (mid-1987 est.)

Organized labor: 1,600,000 members; single-trade union system coordinated
by the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea under the Central Committee

- Government
Long-form name: Democratic People's Republic of Korea; abbreviated DPRK

Type: Communist state; one-man rule

Capital: P'yongyang

Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and
3 special cities* (jikhalsi, singular and plural); Chagang-do,
Hamgyong-namdo, Hamgyong-bukto, Hwanghae-namdo, Hwanghae-bukto,
Kaesong-si*, Kangwon-do, Namp'o-si*, P'yongan-bukto,
P'yongan-namdo, P'yongyang-si*, Yanggang-do

Independence: 9 September 1948

Constitution: adopted 1948, revised 27 December 1972

Legal system: based on German civil law system with Japanese influences
and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Independence Day, 9 September (1948)

Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, premier, nine vice
premiers, State Administration Council (cabinet)

Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme People's Assembly (Choe Ko In
Min Hoe Ui)

Judicial branch: Central Court

Leaders:
Chief of State--President KIM Il-song (since 28 December 1972);
Designated Successor KIM Chong-Il (son of President, born 16 February 1942);

Head of Government--Premier YON Hyong-muk (since NA December 1988)

Political parties and leaders: only party--Korean Workers' Party
(KWP); Kim Il-song, General Secretary, and his son, Kim Chong-Il,
Secretary, Central Committee

Suffrage: universal at age 17

Elections:
President--last held 29 December 1986 (next to be held December
1990);
results--President Kim Il Song was reelected without opposition;

Supreme People's Assembly--last held on 2 November 1986 (next
to be held November 1990, but the constitutional provision for elections
every four years is not always followed);
results--KWP is the only party;
seats--(655 total) KWP 655; the KWP approves a single list of candidates
who are elected without opposition

Communists: KWP claims membership of about 2 million, or about one-tenth
of population

Member of: ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICA