Korea, Democratic People's Republic of (DPRK) - Local government

Of Korea's 13 historic provinces (do), 6 were wholly or partly within the DPRK after 1945. The Communist regime subsequently established two new provinces and divided another into two sections, thus raising the number of provinces to nine: North P'yongan, South P'yongan, Chagang, North Hwanghae, South Hwanghae, Kangwon, North Hamgyong, South Hamgyong, and Yanggang. In addition there are four provincial-level cities under the central government (P'yongyang, the capital, and Kaesong, Najin Sonbong and Namp'o). The provinces are divided into cities (si), counties (kun), or districts (kuyok); and villages (eup), towns (ri), blocks (dong) or workers' districts. There are currently 24 ordinary cities, 146 counties, 31 districts, 2 subdistricts, 3,255 villages, 146 towns, 1,137 blocks, and 255 workers' districts.

There are people's assemblies and people's committees at all levels of administration. Members of the people's assemblies are elected for four-year terms at the provincial level and for two-year terms at the county, township, and village levels. The assemblies supervise public, economic, and cultural activities. They also elect and recall people's committees, which are the permanent executive and administrative organs of the state at the local level.