-ho, vice-chairman; Chondoist Chongu Party, CHONG
Sin-hyok, chairman
Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal
Elections:
President:
last held 24 May 1990 (next to be held by NA 1994); results - President KIM
Il-song was reelected without opposition
Supreme People's Assembly:
last held on 7-9 April 1993 (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
Executive branch:
president, two vice presidents, premier, ten vice premiers, State
Administration Council (cabinet)

*Korea, North, Government

Legislative branch:
unicameral Supreme People's Assembly (Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui)
Judicial branch:
Central Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President KIM Il-song (national leader since 1948, president since 28
December 1972); designated successor KIM Chong-il (son of president, born 16
February 1942)
Head of Government:
Premier KANG Song-san (since December 1992)
Member of:
ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, IFAD, IMF (observer), IMO, IOC, ISO, ITU,
LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
none
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

*Korea, North, 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 and his son, KIM Chong-il. Economic growth during
the period 1984-88 averaged 2-3%, but output declined by 3-5% annually
during 1989-92 because of systemic problems and disruptions in
socialist-style economic relations with the former USSR and China. In 1992,
output dropped sharply, by perhaps 10-15%, as the economy felt the
cumulative effect of the reduction in outside support. The leadership
insisted in 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