North Korea Travel Guide

Country Facts

Location

Far East.

Language

Korean.

Area

122,762 sq km (47,399 sq miles).

Time Zone

GMT + 9.

Electricity

110/220 volts AC, 60Hz.

Population

22.9 million (UN estimate 2005).

Population Density

186.5 per sq km.

Capital City

Pyongyang. Population: 3.2 million (UN 2003).

Government

Communist Republic.

Head of Government

Premier Kim Yong-il since 2007.

Head of State

President Kim Jong-il since 1994. Jong-il is officially known as Chairman of the National Defence Commission, with the deceased Kim Il-sung regarded as the ’Eternal President’.

Religion

Buddhism, Christianity and Chundo Kyo are officially cited as the main religions.

Communications

Telephone

Country Code: . Some hotels in Pyongyang provide direct international calls although this may be expensive.

Mobile Telephone

Limited GSM 900 network. SUNNET is the only network provider.

Internet

Access to the Internet is unavailable.

Media

Radio and TV sets in Korea (Dem Rep) are pre-tuned to government stations with Kim Jong-il propaganda. Press outlets and broadcasters are all under direct state control. The country's economic hardships or famines are not reported. However, after the historic Korean summit in Pyongyang in 2000, media outlets toned down their fierce denunciations of the Seoul government. Ordinary Koreans (Dem Rep) caught listening to foreign broadcasts risk harsh punishments, such as forced labor.

Post

Services are extremely slow and limited outside the capital. Airmail takes about 10 days to reach Western Europe.Mon-Sat 0900-2100.

Press

• Rodong Sinmun(Labor Daily) is the organ of the Korean Workers' Party.
• Other publications include Joson Inmingun (Korean People's Army Daily), Minju Choson (Democratic Korea), which is government owned and Rodongja Sinmum (Workers' Newspaper), the organ of the trade union federation.

Radio

• Korean Central Broadcasting Station is the radio station of the Korean Workers' Party.
• Voice of Korea is a state-run external service, via shortwave.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2010
27 Dec Constitution Day

2011
1 Jan New Year’s Day
16 Feb Kim Jong-il’s Birthday
15 Apr Day of the Sun/Kim Il-sung’s Birthday
25 Apr Foundation of the People’s Army
1 May International Workers’ Day
27 Jul Victory Day
15 Aug Anniversary of Liberation
9 Sep Independence Day
11 Sep Chuseok (Harvest Moon Festival)
10 Oct Foundation of the Korean Workers’ Party
27 Dec Constitution Day

2012
1 Jan New Year’s Day
16 Feb Kim Jong-il’s Birthday
15 Apr Day of the Sun/Kim Il-sung’s Birthday
25 Apr Foundation of the People’s Army
1 May International Workers’ Day
27 Jul Victory Day
15 Aug Anniversary of Liberation
9 Sep Independence Day
30 Sep Chuseok (Harvest Moon Festival)
10 Oct Foundation of the Korean Workers’ Party
27 Dec Constitution Day

Contact Information

The National Tourism Administration of the DPRK

Central District, Pyongyang, Korea (Dem Rep)
Tel: (2) 381 8901.
E-mail: nta@silibank.com

Kumgangsan International Tourist Company

Central District, Pyongyang, Korea (Dem Rep)
Tel: (2) 31562.
Fax: (2) 381 2100.

Embassy of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the UK

73 Gunnersbury Avenue, London W5 4LP, UK
Tel: (020) 8992 4965.
E-mail: singuk.ha@btinternet.com

General Delegation of the DPRK in France

3 rue Asseline, 75014 Paris, France
Tel: (01) 5654 2603.
E-mail: delegationcoree@wanadoo.fr