North Korea

Where the name comes from

Korea comes from Goryeo, the kingdom that ruled from 918 to 1392, itself named after earlier Goguryeo; “North” marks this state’s place on the peninsula.

First people

People have lived on the peninsula for many thousands of years, and Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, ruled the north.¹

Known for

North Korea is known for its inherited leadership: power passed from Kim Il-sung to his son Kim Jong-il, then to his grandson Kim Jong-un.²

Outside contact

Japan annexed Korea in 1910.³

The modern country

After Japan’s surrender in 1945, Soviet forces occupied the north, and the family has ruled since the state was founded in 1948.³