Modern world nations north korea

Afghanistan Argentina Australia Austria Bahrain Bangladesh Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Kazakhstan Kenya Bermuda Kuwait Bolivia Mexico Bosnia and HerzEgovina Brazil Canada Chile China Colombia Costa Rica Croatia Cuba DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO Egypt England Ethiopia France Republic of Georgia Germany The Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria North Korea Norway Pakistan Peru The Philippines Portugal PUERTO RICO Russia Saudi Arabia Scotland SenEgal South Africa South Korea Ghana SPAIN GREECE SWEDEN Guatemala Taiwan Honduras Thailand Iceland India Indonesia Turkey Ukraine The United States of America Iran Uzbekistan Iraq VENEZUELA Ireland VIETNAM North Korea Second Edition Christopher L Salter University of Missouri–Columbia Series Editor Charles F Gritzner South Dakota State University Frontispiece: Flag of North Korea Cover: A bicyclist and his passenger ride past the Grand People’s Study House in Pyongyang, North Korea North Korea, Second Edition Copyright © 2007 by Infobase Publishing All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher For information contact: Chelsea House An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Salter, Christopher L North Korea / Christopher L Salter — 2nd ed p cm — (Modern world nations) Includes bibliographical references and index ISBN-13: 978-0-7910-9513-3 (hardcover : alk paper) ISBN-10: 0-7910-9513-4 (hardcover : alk paper) Korea (North)—Juvenile literature Korea (North) I Title II Series DS932.S26 2007 951.93—dc22 2007010507 Chelsea House books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755 You can find Chelsea House on the World Wide Web at http://www.chelseahouse.com Series design by Takeshi Takahashi Cover design by Joo Young An Printed in the United States of America Bang NMSG 10 This book is printed on acid-free paper All links and Web addresses were checked and verified to be correct at the time of publication Because of the dynamic nature of the Web, some addresses and links may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid Table of Contents Introducing North Korea Physical Landscapes 16 North Korea Through Time 27 People and Culture 35 Government and Politics 46 North Korea’s Economy 75 Regional Geography 87 North Korea Looks Ahead Facts at a Glance History at a Glance Bibliography Further Reading Index 104 111 114 115 117 120 North Korea Second Edition Introducing North Korea I n the middle of the seventeenth century (1642), Korea made the decision to close its borders to all foreigners The government allowed one trade exchange per year with China, only because Korea had certain needs and this giant neighbor had the power and the goods to make a yearly exchange beneficial With this ­decision—and the subsequent closure that lasted for approximately two ­centuries— Korea came to be known as the Hermit Kingdom Today, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, the Hermit Kingdom has again become noteworthy for its role in international affairs Since its founding in 1948, North Korea has been more inaccessible and less interactive than any other nation in East Asia In fact, it has remained one of the most deliberately isolated of all of the world’s countries South Korea, the other country carved from the Korean Peninsula after the conclusion of World War II, competed actively for the  Introducing North Korea right to host the 1988 Summer Olympics This event brought the country into the global spotlight Clearly, the two Koreas have taken vastly different routes in their development since the conclusion of World War II in 1945 One is an ­ outward­looking, growing economic powerhouse; the other remains more like the Hermit Kingdom In recent years, Western media have helped North Korea gain a rather powerful—and extremely negative—image In his 2002 State of the Union Address, for example, President George W Bush named North Korea as one of the original three “Axis of Evil” countries (the others are Iraq and Iran) The press quickly saw this as an evocative label for a country that has not only industrial strength, but also a steadfast allegiance to Communism, a governmental system that the United States considers diametrically opposed to the American concept of liberty and free market development Despite these negative depictions, since early 1998, North Korea and South Korea have engaged (although erratically, depending on short-term political happenings) in talks that have been viewed as very significant One of the main issues initially discussed was the possibility of opening gateways between the two Koreas This would allow family members, who have been separated for more than 60 years, to pass freely between the countries to visit one another The overall policy movement that has supported these discussions is called Sunshine Diplomacy, or Sunshine Policy These channels of communication were opened by the 1997 election of Kim Dae Jung as president in South Korea He was noted for his remarkable success in staging the first North/South Korea summit since the 1953 armistice was signed between the two countries The June 1997 summit that grew from President Kim Dae Jung’s Sunshine Policy did not produce monumental changes in policy But it did represent a critical shift in the apparent attitudes of the governing leaders in South Korea and Kim Jong Il of North Korea There slowly emerged a sense—especially in South  Imports $2.72 billion f.o.b (2006 est.) Leading Trade Partners Exports: China, 35%; South Korea, 24%; Thailand, 9%; Japan, 9% (2005) Imports: China, 42%; South Korea, 28%; Russia, 9%; Thailand, 8% (2005) Export Commodities Minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures ­(including armaments), textiles, agricultural and fishery products Import Commodities Petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment, textiles, grain Transportation Roadways: 19,387 miles (31,200 kilometers), 1,241 miles (1,997 kilometers) is paved (2004); Railways: 3,240 miles (5,214 kilometers); Airports: 77—36 are paved runways (2006); Waterways: 1,398 miles (2,250 kilometers) Government Country Name Conventional long form: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; Conventional short form: North Korea; Local long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk; Local short form: Choson; Abbreviation: DPRK Capital City Pyongyang Type of Government Communist state one-man dictatorship Chief of State Kim Jong Il (since July 1994) Independence August 15, 1945 (from Japan) Administrative Divisions Nine provinces (do, singular and plural) and four municipalities (si, singular and plural) Communications TV Stations Four (includes Korean Central Television, Mansudae Television, Korean Educational and Cultural Network, and Kaesong Television targeting South Korea) Radio Stations 31 (AM, 17; FM, 14) Phones 980,000 (cell phones, N/A) Internet Users N/A * Source: CIA-The World Factbook (2007) 113 History at a Glance 108 B.C A.D 313 1259 1368 1392 1590s 1630s 1642 1876 1910 1945 1948 1950–1953 1968 1971 1994 2002 2005 2006 2007 China conquers the northern half of the Korean Peninsula Korean forces drive the Chinese from the peninsula Mongol armies conquer Korea Koreans gain freedom from Mongols Korean Yi Dynasty founded, which will last until 1910 Japanese armies invade Korea but are driven out Manchu armies from northern China invade Korea and maintain control, although members of the Yi Dynasty continue to serve as kings Korea closes its borders to all nations, except for China’s annual tribute ship; Korea becomes known as the Hermit Kingdom Japan forces Korea to open its ports to trade Japan annexes Korea and holds it as a colony Soviet forces occupy North Korea while U.S forces the same in South Korea; peninsula is divided at the 38th parallel of latitude The Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea is founded and Kim Il Sung is declared premier The Korean War takes place The U.S intelligence ship USS Pueblo is captured by North Korea off its west coast; 82 crewmembers are detained for 11 months North Korean and South Korean Red Cross Societies begin discussions of reunification; such talks have continued but have been erratic The United States and North Korea sign an agreement that trades U.S support for light-water nuclear reactor power stations in North Korea for North Korea’s promise not to develop nuclear weapons; floods and famine occur; Kim Il Sung dies; his son Kim Jong Il becomes de facto premier North Korea admits that it has secretly been developing nuclear capability for years Like four earlier meetings held in prior years, the sixnation talks (North Korea, South Korea, Japan, China, Russia, and the United States) take place in Beijing They fail to achieve a productive outcome North Korea tests missiles on July 4; explodes nuclear device on October North Korea agrees to close its nuclear reactor 114 Bibliography 2006 World Population Data Sheet Washington, D.C Population Reference Bureau, 2006 Breen, Michael The Koreans: Who They Are, What They Want, Where Their Future Lies New York: St Martin’s Press, 1998 Cressey, George B Asia’s Lands and Peoples: A Geography of One-third of the Earth and Two-thirds of Its People New York: McGraw-Hill, 1963 Cumings, Bruce Korea’s Place in the Sun: A Modern History New York: W. W Norton, 1997 –––– North Korea: Another Country New York: The New Press, 2004 Encyclopedia Britannica Book of the Year Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1986–2006 French, Howard W “North Korea Fans Make Headlines from the Sidelines.” New York Times, 2002, p A8 ­–––– “North Korea to Let Capitalism Loose in Investment Zone.” New York Times, September 25, 2002, p A3 “Friendship and Trade.” The Economist, July 20, 2006 Hoon, Shim Jae “Summit Lifeline.” Far Eastern Economic Review, April 20, 2000, p 44 Hwang, Eui-Gak The Korean Economies: A Comparison of North and South Oxford, U.K.: Clarendon Press, 1993 “Interest Revived in the Sinuiju Special Administrative Region.” Policy Forum Online 06-25A, March 30, 2006 Kaplan, Robert D “When North Korea Fails.” Atlantic Monthly, October 2006 Kim, H Edward, ed Facts About Korea Elizabeth, N.J.: Hollym International Corporation, 1984 Kirk, Don “2 Koreas Celebrate Decision to Reconnect a Railway.” New York Times, September 19, 2002, p A8 Kolb, Albert East Asia China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam: Geography of a Cultural Region London: Methuen & Co., 1971 Kong, Dan Oh North Korea Through the Looking Glass Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2002 Korea: Its Land, People, and Culture of All Ages Seoul, South Korea: Hakwon-sa, 1963 Korean Overseas Information Services A Handbook of Korea Elizabeth, N.J.: Hollym International Corporation, 1993 115 Lee, Kenneth B Korea and East Asia: The Story of a Phoenix Boulder, Colo.: Praeger Publishers, 1997 Natsios, Andrew G The Great North Korean Famine Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press, 2001 Noland, Marcus Avoiding the Apocalypse: The Future of the Two Koreas Washington, D.C Institute for International Economics, 2000 “North Korea Nuke Talks End Without Deal.” New York Times, December 22, 2006 Oberdorfer, Don The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History New York: Basic Books, 2001 Quinones, C Kenneth, and Joseph Tragert Understanding North Korea Indianapolis, Ind.: Alpha Books, 2004 Reeve, W D The Republic of Korea: A Political and Economic Study New York: Oxford University Press, 1963 Reischauer, Edwin O., and John K Fairbank East Asia: The Great Tradition Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1960 Salter, Cathy “From a Distance: Korean Reconciliation?” Columbia Tribune, June 28, 2000, p 7A Salter, Christopher L., and Joseph J Hobbs Essentials of World Regional Geography Pacific Grove, Calif.: Brooks/Cole Publishing, 2003 “Special Report: North Korea.” The Economist, July 27, 2002, pp 24–26 Spencer, Joseph E Asia East by South New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1967 Stossel, Scott “North Korea: The War Game.” Atlantic Monthly, July/ August 2005 “Testing Times.” The Economist, October 26, 2006 “The Dead Are Not the Only Casualties.” The Economist, July 6, 2002, p 41 Weightman, Barbara A Dragons and Tigers: A Geography of South, East, and Southeast Asia New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2002 World Book Encyclopedia Chicago: World Book, 2002 World Reference Atlas New York: Dorling Kindersley Publishing, 1998 “Yesterday’s War, Tomorrow’s Peace.” The Economist, July 8, 1999 116 Further Reading Books Blaut, J M The Colonizer’s Model of the World New York: Guilford Press, 1993 Breen, Michael The Koreans: Who They Are, What They Want, Where Their Future Lies New York: St Martin’s Press, 1998 Cumings, Bruce Korea’s Place in the Sun: A Modern History New York: W. W Norton, 1997 Duus, Peter The Abacus and the Sword: The Japanese Penetration of Korea, 1895–1910 Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995 Harrold, Michael Comrades and Strangers: Behind the Closed Doors of North Korea New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2004 Kim, Elaine H., and Eui-Young Yu East to America: Korean American Life Stories New York: The New York Press, 1996 Kolb, Albert East Asia China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam: Geography of a Cultural Region London: Methuen & Co., 1971 Kong, Dan Oh North Korea Through the Looking Glass Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press, 2000 Lautensach, Hermann Korea: A Geography Based on the Author’s Travels and Literature Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1988 McCune, Evelyn The Arts of Korea: An Illustrated History Rutland, Vt.: Tuttle, 1962 Natsios, Andrew G The Great North Korean Famine Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press, 2001 Noland, Marcus Avoiding the Apocalypse: The Future of the Two Koreas Washington, D.C.: Institute for International Economics, 2000 Oberdorfer, Don The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History New York: Basic Books, 2001 Phillips, Douglas A., and Steven C Levi The Pacific Rim Region: Emerging Giant Hillside, N.J.: Enslow Publishers, 1988 Storey, Robert, and Eunkyong Park Korea Oakland, Calif.: Lonely Planet Publications, 2001 117 Web sites CIA World Factbook—North Korea https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/kn.html News from North Korea http://www.kcna.co.jp/index-e.htm Library of Congress—North Korea http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/kptoc.html Information on North Korea http://www.pyongyangsquare.com/ 118 Picture Credits page:   11: © Lucidity Information Design, LLC   14: © Alain Nogues/Alain Nogues/CORBIS   18: © Lucidity Information Design, LLC   22: Associated Press, The World Food Program   30: © Hulton Archive/Getty Images   32: Craig J Brown/Index Stock Imagery, Inc   37: © AFP/Getty Images   41: © Getty Image News/Getty Images   44: © Time Life Pictures/Getty Images   53: © Time Life Pictures/Getty Images   59: AP Images   64: © AFP/Getty Images   70: © Seokyong Lee/Bloomberg News/Landov   76: © Getty Image News/Getty Images   79: © Reuters/Jung-Yeon-Je/Pool/Landov   85: © Getty Image News/Getty Images   89: © AFP/Getty Images   92: © Reuters/China Daily/Landov   98: © Reuters/Jonathan Thatcher/Landov 101: © Stephen Foxwell/Bloomberg News/Landov 105: © AFP/Getty Images 109: © Getty Image News/Getty Images Cover: AP Images 119 Index Age of Discovery, 51 age of North Korean population, 43–45, 109 Agreed Framework, 65–69, 77, 108 agriculture, 76, 80, 106 alphabets, 34 animals, 25 Asia Games, 102 Axis of Evil countries, 9, 67, 72 birthrate, 38–40 borders, closing of, 8, 50–51 boycotts, 55 British film crew, Pyongyang and, 13 Buddhism, 47 Bush, George W., 66–68, 72 Caucasians, racial origins and, 29–30 Central Mountains, 20 Changbai range, 19 character languages, 34 cheerleaders, 102 China free market and, 81, 82, 88 history of Korea and, 31–33, 46 Korean War and, 56–58 Liaoning Province and, 91–94, 110 location relative to, 11–12, 26, 28 nuclear weapons and, 73 Pyongyang and, 100 trade with, 8, 49–50, 83–84, 92–94 tribute status and, 49 climate of North Korea monsoons and, 21–23 overview of, 20–21 temperature, precipitation and, 23–24 typhoons and, 24–25 Clinton, William J., 66, 94 coal, 77 cold war, 69 communication, printing types and, 47 Communism, 9, 54 Confucianism, 32 Corée du Nord, 14 Dandong, Liaoning, China, 91–94 dates, important 108 b.c., 47 a.d 1259, 48 1392, 49–50 1640, 50–51 1873, 51–52 1940s, 52–54 1950s, 54–61 1960s, 61–62 1970s, 62 1980s, 62–63 1990s, 63–66 2000s, 66–69 a.d 313, 48 a.d 932, 48 death rate, 40–41 deforestation, 25 demilitarized zone (DMZ), 59–60, 67, 84, 85, 94–99 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), 53, 54 Diamond Mountain, 84, 85, 97–98 Eastern Coastal Lowlands, 18, 20 economy birthrate and, 39 free market experiment and, 81–86 overview of, 75–81 Sinuiju and, 88–89 120 Index elderly population, caring for, 44–45 electrical devices, family size and, 39–40 electricity generation, 62–63, 65 famines, 41, 42, 65, 90 farmers’ markets, 81–82 fertility rate, 43 flooding, 22, 65–66, 81 food shortages, infant mortality and, 41, 42 forests, 17, 25 free market, 81–86, 88 Friendship Bridge, 91, 92 frost, 24 future of North Korea, 104–110 Geneva, Switzerland, 61, 65 Genghis Khan, 29 geography importance of location and, 10–12, 26, 46 migrations and, 28 overview of, 16–18, 87 graphite, 77 Great Leader See Kim Il Sung Gutenberg, Johannes, 33 Gyeongju National Park, 32 Hamgyong Province, 72 Hamgyong-Sanmaek Mountains, 17, 19 Hangul language, 34 Hanju Bay, 19 Hansong (Kaesong), 47, 99 Hermit Kingdom, as nickname, 8, 10, 12–13, 51 Hiroshima, 52, 69 Hong Kong North, 88–91, 93 hurricanes, 24–25 hydroelectricity, 77 Hyundai Corporation, 84 Inchon, 67 income, average, 85 industry, 88–89, 101–102 infant mortality rate, 41–42, 67 insolation, monsoons and, 21 International Atomic Energy (IAEA) inspectors, expulsion of, 68, 107–108 Iran, 72 Japan attempted occupations by, 50 control by, 52, 102 future of North Korea and, 106–107 location relative to, 10–11, 26 trade and, 51 Japan, Sea of, 20, 21, 48, 70, 110 juche, 61, 79–80, 81 Kaema Plateau, 17 Kaesong (Hansong), 47, 59, 99 Kaya, 47 Kazakhstan, 29 Kelly, James, 68 kidnappings, 106–107 Kim Dae Jung, Sunshine Diplomacy and, 9–10, 66–67, 94–95 Kim Il Sung death of, 63–65 Korean War and, 54–55 leadership of, 104 nuclear weapons and, 15 Soviet Union and, 61–62 Kim Il Sung Stadium, 102 Kim Jong Il Sinuiju and, 90 as son of Kim Il Sung, 15, 63–65 Sunshine Diplomacy and, 9–10, 66 Koguryo, 31–33, 47 Korea Bay (Yellow Sea), 17, 21 121 Index Korean War, 10, 19, 55–61 Koryo Dynasty, 33, 46–47 Kosygin, Aleksey, 61–62 Kublai Khan, 29, 30 Kumgang, Mount, 106 See also Diamond Mountain Kumjangni, 66 “Land of the Morning Calm,” 12 land tenure system, 49–50 landscape See geography language, 28, 33–34 life expectancy, 67 light-water reactors, 62–63, 65, 68, 77 location See geography logging, 25 MacArthur, Douglas, 55–57, 58 magnesite, 77 Manchuria, 12, 56 Manchus, 50 Meiji Restoration, 52 MIG Alley, 58 migrations, Korean Peninsula and, 27–28 military, Yi Dynasty and, 49–50 Ming Dynasty, 33, 49 missile launches, 70 Mongols, 28, 29–30, 33, 48 See also Yuan Dynasty monsoons, 21–23 “Morning Calm,” 12 mortality rate, 40–41 mountains, 16, 24 See also specific mountains Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD), 69 Nangnim-Sanmaek Mountains, 17, 19 natural resources, 38, 77 Neutral Nations’ Repatriation Commission, 60 Nobel Peace Prize, 66–67 Northern Mountains, 18, 19–20 Northwestern Plain, 18, 19, 88 nuclear development See also Agreed Framework future of North Korea and, 107 George W Bush and, 67–68 Kim Il Sung and, 65 NPT and, 63, 65, 68 overview of issues with, 69–74 threat of, 15 underground detonation and, 72 Olympics, 8–9, 14, 63, 66 Paekche, 31–33, 47 Paektu-san, 16, 17, 18 palisades, construction of, 12, 50–51 Panmunjom, 62, 99–100 people of North Korea ages of, 43–44 birthrate and, 38–40 death rate and, 40–41 infant mortality rate and, 41–42 population density and, 36–38 population dynamics and, 35–36 rate of natural increase and, 42 total fertility rate (TFR) and, 43 Perry, Matthew, 51 petroleum, 77 plant life, 25 population density, 36–38 population dynamics, 35–36 ports, 110 precipitation, 23–25 printing types, 33, 34, 47 prisoner camps, Korean War and, 59 protestors, 70 Pueblo (USS), capture of, 61–62 Pyongyang 122 Index British film crew and, 13 location of, 19 nuclear weapons and, 68 overview of, 100–103 Shang Dynasty and, 31 Taedong River and, 12 transportation infrastructure, 37 racial origins of Korean people, 29–30 railroads, 67, 89, 92, 105, 108 rate of natural increase, 38, 42 raw materials, 38, 77 Red Army, 54–55 Red Cross talks, 62, 63 reforestation program, 25 reunions, 63 Ring of Fire, 26 rogue nations, 73 Roh Moo-hyun, 108 Rungnado May Day Stadium, 14 rural regions, population in, 40, 76 Russia See also Soviet Union location relative to, 10–11, 26, 28 trade with, 83 Russo-Japanese War, 52 sanctions, 73–74 scud missiles, 68 Sea of Japan, 20, 21, 48, 70, 110 self-reliance See juche Seoul, 71 Seven-Year Plans, 77 Shang Dynasty, 12, 31 shell mounds, 29–30 Silla, 31–33, 34, 47 Sino-Japanese Wars, 52, 57 Sino-Tibetan language family, 28 Sinuiju, 88–91, 93 six-nation talks, 73–74 South Korea aid from North Korea to, 63 economic comparison to, 78 family size and, 39–40 future of North Korea and, 106–107 nuclear weapons and, 71 Olympics and, 8–9 physical separation from, 17 Sunshine Diplomacy and, 9–10 trade and, 13–14 Soviet Union See also Russia agreements with, 61–62, 66 MIG planes and, 58 UN Security Council and, 55 World War II and, 52 Special Administrative Regions (SARs), 88, 90, 106 Special Economic Zones (SEZs), 88, 90, 91 Sunshine Diplomacy (Policy) Kim Dae Jung and, 94–95 overview of, 9–10, 66–67 Taebaek Range, 20 Taedong River, 12, 80, 101 Taekam Cooperative Farm, 83 taxes, 47 temperatures, 23–25 tenure, 49–50 38th parallel, 53, 19–20, 52, 54, 57, 63, 67, 95, 97, 104 Three Kingdoms era, 31–33, 47–48 total fertility rate (TFR), 43 tourism, 84, 85, 97–98 “Tower of the Juche Idea,” 80 trade China and, 8, 49, 50, 83–84, 92 future of North Korea and, 106 Sinuiju and, 91 statistics on, 78 transportation, Pyongyang and, 37 123 Index Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), 62, 68 tribute status, 49 Truman, Harry S., 55, 56, 57, 58 Tumen River, 17, 19 Tungsten, 77 Tungu, 29 typhoons, 24–25 United Nations, Soviet Union and, 55 United Nations World Food Program, infant mortality and, 41 United States, USS Pueblo and, 62 Unsan, 22 Ural-Altaic language family, 28, 29 uranium, enriched, 68 USSR See Soviet Union Wang Kon, 33 wildlife, 25 winds, 20–21 written language, 33–34 Yalu River, 12, 16–17, 19, 93 Yang Bin, 90 Yanggakdo Island, 101 Yellow Sea (Korea Bay), 17, 21 Yemen, 68 Yi Dynasty, 33, 34, 47, 49, 52 Yi Song-gye, 49 Yokohama (Yedo), 51 Yongbyon, 107–108 Yonghung Bay, 20 Yuan Dynasty, 33, 48 124 About the Contributors Christopher L Salter is emeritus professor and chair of the geography department at the University of Missouri–Columbia He spent three years teaching English at Tunghai University in Taiwan and has traveled to East Asia eight times He is the author of more than 120 articles and more than a dozen books, including South Korea and Taiwan in the Modern World Nations series He has also been involved in geography education and received the first-ever National Geographic Society Distinguished Geography Educator Award, as well as the George J Miller Award from the National Council for Geographic Education Charles F Gritzner is distinguished professor of geography at South Dakota State University He is now in his fifth decade of college teaching and research During his career, he has taught more than 70 different courses, spanning the fields of physical, cultural, and regional geography Much of his career work has focused on geographic education Gritzner has served as both president and executive director of the National Council for Geographic Education and has received the council’s George J Miller Award for Distinguished Service 125 ... impact on the Korean Introducing North Korea North Korea is located on the Korean Peninsula and is bordered by South Korea to the south, China to the northwest, and Russia to the northeast Covering... Contents Introducing North Korea Physical Landscapes 16 North Korea Through Time 27 People and Culture 35 Government and Politics 46 North Korea s Economy 75 Regional Geography 87 North Korea Looks Ahead... 12 North Korea world for more than 3,000 years North and South Korea make up a world that is truly shaped by geographic location This peninsula—as is true of the present-day countries of North