North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (the DPRK), is a state in East Asia in the northern half of the Korean Peninsula, with its capital in the city of Pyongyang.

To the south and separated by the Korean Demilitarized Zone is South Korea, with which it formed one nation until division following World War II. At its northern Yalu River border are the People's Republic of China and, separated by the Tumen River in the extreme north-east, Russia.

North Korea is regarded by some as a Stalinist dictatorship. It follows the Juche ideology, developed by Kim Il-sung, the country's first president. The current leader is Kim Jong-il, the late president Kim Il-sung's son. Relations are strong with other traditional socialist states, Vietnam, Laos, and, often, China, as well as with Cambodia and Burma. Following a major famine in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a major economic partner, leader Kim Jong-il instigated the "Military-First" policy in 1995, increasing economic concentration and support for the military. Multiple international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have accused North Korea of having one of the worst human rights records of any state. Defectors have testified to the existence of detention camps and reported murder, torture and human medical experimentation.

North Korea's culture is officially protected and heavily promoted by the government and the Mass Games are government-organized events glorifying its two leaders, involving over 100,000 performers.

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