history of North Korea

Introduction
The Kim Il-Sung era
- The 1950s and ’60s
- From 1970 to the death of Kim Il-Sung
  - Domestic developments
  - International relations
  - Relations with the South
North Korea under Kim Jong Il
- Domestic priorities and international cooperation
- Nuclear ambitions
- Internal challenges and international relations
- Relations with the South
The rise and rule of Kim Jong-Un
- Kim Jong-Un’s consolidation of power
- Acceleration of North Korea’s nuclear program
- Engagement with South Korea and the United States

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Political map of North Korea showing provincial boundaries, major cities, and neighboring countries China and South Korea. The map highlights the Demilitarized Zone along the southern border and includes a locator inset indicating North Korea's position in East Asia. Major cities such as Pyongyang, Nampo, and Hamhung are labeled, along with surrounding seas: the Yellow Sea to the west and the East Sea (Sea of Japan) to the east.

Large bronze statue of Kim Il-sung with one arm raised, standing in front of a government building in Pyongyang as people bow and lay flowers at the base.

Portrait of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il wearing glasses and a gray collared shirt, looking forward with a neutral expression.

South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung, left, speaks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il during a lunch in Pyongyang after a summit on June 15, 2000.

Kim Jong-Un and Kim Jong Il

Kim Jong Un and Ri Sol Ju stand side by side on a red carpet, posing for a photo in front of a blue and green abstract backdrop.

People seated at Seoul Railway Station watch a TV news broadcast about North Korea's fifth nuclear test, with a soldier standing nearby and a Samsung sign above the screen.

battle casualties of the Korean War (1950–53)

history of North Korea: Media

Images

North Korea

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Political map of North Korea showing provincial boundaries, major cities, and neighboring countries China and South Korea. The map highlights the Demilitarized Zone along the southern border and includes a locator inset indicating North Korea's position in East Asia. Major cities such as Pyongyang, Nampo, and Hamhung are labeled, along with surrounding seas: the Yellow Sea to the west and the East Sea (Sea of Japan) to the east.

North Korea

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Large bronze statue of Kim Il-sung with one arm raised, standing in front of a government building in Pyongyang as people bow and lay flowers at the base.

statue of Kim Il-Sung

Statue of Kim Il-Sung at the Korean Revolution Museum, Pyongyang, North Korea.

© Pvince73/Shutterstock.com

Portrait of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il wearing glasses and a gray collared shirt, looking forward with a neutral expression.

Kim Jong Il

Kim Jong Il, c. 2001.

© Jonas Ekstromer—AFP/Getty Images

South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung, left, speaks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il during a lunch in Pyongyang after a summit on June 15, 2000.

Kim Dae-Jung and Kim Jong Il

South Korean Pres. Kim Dae-Jung (left) with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang,...

© Yonhap—EPA/Shutterstock.com

Kim Jong-Un and Kim Jong Il

Kim Jong-Un and Kim Jong Il

Kim Jong-Un (center right) and his father, Kim Jong Il (center), at a military parade...

Miguel Toran—EPA/Shutterstock.com

Kim Jong Un and Ri Sol Ju stand side by side on a red carpet, posing for a photo in front of a blue and green abstract backdrop.

Kim Jong-Un and Ri Sol-Ju

Kim Jong-Un with his wife, Ri Sol-Ju, 2018.

Korea Summit Press Pool—AFP/Getty Images

People seated at Seoul Railway Station watch a TV news broadcast about North Korea's fifth nuclear test, with a soldier standing nearby and a Samsung sign above the screen.

broadcast about North Korean nuclear test

South Koreans at a railway station in Seoul watching a news broadcast about North...

© Woohae Cho/Getty Images

Kim Yo-Jong

Kim Yo-Jong

Kim Yo-Jong, 2018.

Kyodo/AP Images

Interactives

battle casualties of the Korean War (1950–53)

battle casualties of the Korean War (1950–53)

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.