[Music] welcome to the secretive realm of North Korea officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea or dprk names here carry significant weight acknowledging the authority of its government yet behind the official facade lies a country veiled in mystery and hardship particularly for those who seek to escape once a land of promise North Korea now grapples with poverty and seclusion in this video we will delve deeper into the world's most secretive [Music] country geographically North Korea is a country in East Asia occupying the northern part of the Korean Peninsula with its largest Capital Pyongyang
the country spans an area of 12,540 square km about 46,5 41 square miles it borders the People's Republic of China and Russia to the north South Korea along the Korean demilitarized zone and Japan across the East sea also known as the Sea of Japan North Korea's terrain is predominantly hilly and mountainous with about 80% of its land consisting of Highlands and several mountain ranges separated by Deep narrow valleys the country experiences four distinct Seasons Winter summer spring and fall because 80% of North Korea is mountainous the vegetation mainly consists of conifers like Pine and fur
trees even in the lowlands similar vegetation can be found North Korea's fauna is actually quite diverse but deforestation has led to a sharp decline in populations of species such as Deer Mountain antelopes goats tigers and leopards however you can still spot the red crowned crane the second rarest crane in the world this bird is also a symbol of good fortune and Fidelity in Korean culture it inhabits marshes Riverbanks rice fields and wetlands speaking of the population North Korea has approxim imely 25 million inhabitants making it one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries in the world
there are only a few Chinese Japanese Vietnamese South Koreans and Europeans working in North Korea one of the more ironic aspects of North Korea is its life expectancy the life expectancy there is only about 63.8 years ranking 139th out of 191 countries when compared to its neighbor neighor South Korea the difference is Stark South Korea has a life expectancy of around 72 years a gap of nearly 11 years infant mortality rates in North Korea are also notably high at 51.3 4% this rate is roughly 2.5 times higher than that of the People's Republic of China
five times higher than Russia and 12 times higher than South Korea when it comes to language North Korea and South Korea both use Korea the difference lies mainly in the dialect spoken in each country South Korea is more liberal adopting many modern and foreign terms while in North Korea such influences are heavily [Music] restricted when discussing the history of North Korea it's impossible to ignore its political landscape following Japan's defeat in World War War I in 1945 Korea was divided into two regions by the United Nations the northern part was administered by the Soviet Union
while the southern part was managed by the United States after officially becoming the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 1948 North Korea declared itself a yusa state meaning it believes in and relies on its own strength North Korea follows a one-party system with the ruling party being the Democratic front for the reun unification of the Fatherland this Coalition includes several parties such as the Workers Party of Korea and two minor parties the Korean Social Democratic party and the kondas chongu party throughout its history the North Korean government has been led by a single family the
first leader of the democratic People's Republic of Korea was Kim ilung who is also known as the Eternal president because the position of president was abolished after his death many believe that was done to deify Kim ilung following Kim il's death his son Kim Jong ill took over as the head of state the current leader of North Korea is Kim Jong 's youngest son Kim Jong-un the political system in North Korea is built on the principle of centralization defecting from North Korea is extremely difficult and dangerous the country imposes harsh punishments including the death penalty
on those who attempt to flee even if someone successfully escapes their family members remaining in North Korea can face punishment extending up to three generations additionally severe torture and brutal punishments await those who are caught trying to [Music] defect similar to its political system North Korea's economy is entirely State controlled the government dictates all production priori prorities and overseas Economic Development international trade is heavily restricted resulting in an economy that can be described as minimalistic at best according to data from the United Nations North Korea ranks 122nd in terms of GDP with a GDP per
capita of $1,847 totaling around $28 billion considering this it might be hard to believe that North Korea was once a prosperous Nation however for several decades North Korea excelled in politics economics technology and Military prowess often being touted as an ideal socialist State the country experienced rapid economic growth from the end of the Korean War until the 1970s however under the rule of kimlong the economy quickly declined many attribute this downturn to poor economic decisions and mismanagement another significant issue has been the North Korean leadership's obsession with military development particularly nuclear weapons the focus on
nuclear weapons development has led to the construction of nuclear infrastructure such as the pungy Rai nuclear test site although this site was closed in 2018 following the pongyang moratorium it was reopened and North Korea conducted its 7eventh nuclear test there which triggered a 2.5 magnitude earthquake [Music] on the cultural side North Korea is beginning to show signs of revitalization if you think North Korea is completely closed off and strictly controls every aspect of life that's not entirely true the country offers a variety of luxurious experiences there are festivals vibrant nightlife and tourist attractions this is
the Lesser known side of North Korea that m mream media rarely highlights North Korea is a popular tourist destination for people from China Russia and Japan primarily because it's quite affordable however for South Korean citizens obtaining a visa to enter North Korea is nearly impossible and the same applies to Americans one of the most famous tourist destinations in North Korea is Mount kumgang Kum gangon although certain travel restrictions for tourists have been lifted stringent limitations and regulations are still in place [Music]
