North Korea is perhaps the most isolated and least visited countries on earth. It is one of the last bastions of communism and still follows the ideology of Kim Il Sung, resisting any pressure to change and making it one of the most unique places on earth. A visit here will be tightly controlled by North Korean travel guides. The capital Pyongyang is a fascinating city characterised by monuments commemorating North Korea's leaders, ideology and war dead. Elsewhere, reminders of North Korea's long history can be seen at the Koguryo Tombs and Kaesong, capital of the Koryo dynasty, while present day political tensions with South Korea are visible at the demilitarised zone. Explore in depth highlights of North Korea.
| Tours | Unesco WHS | Guidebooks |
|---|---|---|
| groups tours with set departures |
World Heritage Sites | country, regions and cities |
| Time zone: | GMT +9 (North Korean standard time) | Daylight savings: None |
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| Main languages: | Korean |
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| Currency: |
North Korean won (KPW) €1 = ₩150, $1 = ₩135, £1 = ₩179 (rates as of Sep 2016) |
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| Internet Domain: | .kp | International Dialling Code: 850 |
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For help planning your trip to North Korea including visas, vaccinations, currency exchange, flights, accomodation and insurance, see our North Korea trip planning page.
Further information on North Korea
Discover more about North Korea - the country's geogrpahy and natural features, an assessment of its status on freedom and rights and data on the country's population and economy.
Geography & Natural Features
Total area: 120,540 sq km (130 sq km under water)
Coastline: 2,495 km (Korea Bay, Sea of Japan)
Neighbours (border lengths): China (1,416km), Russia (19km), South Korea (238km)
Climate: Temperate climate with cold, dry winters and hot, humid summers when rainfall is concentrated. Autumn and Spring are generally mild and dry.
Highest mountain: Paektu-san (2,744m)
Freedom & Rights
Summary status and rankings for North Korea from classifications of different organisations measuring political and economic freedom, democracy and civil rights. See more details of these rankings.
| Index | Status | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Freedom in the World | Not Free | - |
 | Democracy Index | Authoritarian regime | 167/167 |
 | Economic Freedom | Repressed | 178/179 |
 | Press Freedom | Very serious situation | 177/179 |
 | ILGA LGBT rights | Limited rights | - |
 | Corruption Perceptions | High corruption | 174/174 |
| Overall Ranking: | 193/195 | ||
Other Data & Links
Full name: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Status: Independent Country
Population: 24,851,627 (rank: 49/196) Density: 206.1 people/sq km (rank: 42/196)
Ethnic groups: racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese
Religions: traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way)
GDP (PPP): $40 billion GDP per capita: $1,800 (rank: 165/195)
Information derived from the CIA World Factbook. Other country profiles: BBC News.