ong-il as designated successor; however the
son has not assumed the titles that his father held and no new
elections have been held or scheduled
head of government: Premier KANG Song-san (since NA December 1992)
was elected by the Supreme People's Assembly
cabinet: State Administration Council was appointed by the Supreme
People's Assembly

Legislative branch: unicameral
Supreme People's Assembly (Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui): elections last held
7-9 April 1990 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by
party NA; seats - (687 total) 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, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ISO, ITU,
NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in US: none; note - North Korea has a
Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, headed by PAK Kil-yon

US diplomatic representation: none

Flag: 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
-------

Economic 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 1989-95
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
ha