KOREA, DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF (DPRK)
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Choson Minjujuui Inmin Konghwa-guk
CAPITAL : P'yongyang
FLAG : A wide horizontal red stripe is bordered on top and bottom by narrow blue stripes, separated from the red by thin white stripes. The left half of the red stripe contains a red five-pointed star on a circular white field.
ANTHEM : The Song of General Kim Il Sung.
MONETARY UNIT : The won ( W ) of 100 ch'on (or jeon) is the national currency. There are coins of 1, 5, 10, and 50 ch'on, and 1 won, and notes of 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 won. W 1 = $0.00674 (or $1 = W 148.33; as of April 2003).
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES : The metric system and native Korean units of measurement are used.
HOLIDAYS : New Year's Day, 1 January; Kim Jong Il's Birthday, 16 February; International Women's Day, 8 March; Kim Il Sung's Birthday, 15 April; May Day, 1 May; Liberation Day, 15 August; National Foundation Day, 9 September; Founding of the Korean Workers' Party, 10 October; Anniversary of the Constitution, 27 December.
TIME : 9 PM = noon GMT.
ETHNIC GROUPS
The Koreans are believed to be descended primarily from Tungusic peoples of the Mongoloid race, who originated in the cold northern regions of Central Asia. There is scant evidence of non-Mongoloid admixture. There is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese; however, the DPRK has no sizable ethnic minority.
INSURANCE
The State Insurance Bureau and the Korea Foreign Insurance Company carry fire and natural disaster insurance and, as appropriate, livestock, marine, and passenger insurance on a compulsory basis. Individuals may take out various types of property, life, and travel insurance, all provided by the government.
CUSTOMS AND DUTIES
No information is available.
DEPENDENCIES
The DPRK has no territories or colonies.