Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego
Inmin Hoeui (687 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections : last held 7-9 April 1990 (next to be held NA); note - the
term of the Assembly expired in April 1995 without a new election and
it has not been convened since the death of KIM Il-song in July 1994
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - the
KWP approves a single list of candidates who are elected without
opposition; minor parties hold a few seats

Judicial branch: Central Court, judges are elected by the Supreme
People's Assembly

Political parties and leaders: major party - Korean Workers' Party
(KWP), KIM Chong-il, secretary, Central Committee; Korean Social
Democratic Party, KIM Pyong-sik, chairman; Chondoist Chongu Party, YU
Mi-yong, chairwoman

International organization participation: ESCAP, FAO, G-77, ICAO,
ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ISO,
ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note - North Korea has a
Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, headed by KIM Hyong-u

Diplomatic representation from the US: none

Flag description: three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple
width), and blue; the red band is edged in white; on the hoist side of
the red band is a white disk with a red five-pointed star

Economy

Economy - overview: More than 90% of this command economy is
socialized; agricultural land is collectivized; and state-owned
industry produces 95% of manufactured goods. State control of economic
affairs is unusually tight even for a communist country because of the
small size and homogeneity of the society and the strict rule of KIM
Il-song in the past and now his son, KIM Chong-il. Economic growth
during the period 1984-88 averaged 2%-3%, but output declined by an
average of 4%-5% annually during 1989-96 because of systemic problems
and disruptions in socialist-style economic relations and
technological links with the former USSR and China. The leadership has
insisted on maintaining its high level of military outlays from a
shrinking economic pie. Moreover, a serious drawdown in inventories
and critical shortages in the energy sector have led to increasing
interruptions in industrial production. Abundant mineral resources and
hydropower have formed the basis of industrial development since World
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