North Korea, officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), occupies the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. It shares borders with China and Russia to the north and South Korea to the south. A heavily fortified demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separates the two Koreas. North Korea’s population is estimated at around 26 million people.

North Korea is a one-party totalitarian state ruled by the Kym dynasty under the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). The Supreme Leader holds absolute power, controlling the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. North Korea was founded on communist ideology derived from the Soviet Union. It remains a command economy whereby the state owns virtually all means of production and exercises control over prices, employment, and resources. Food security has been an ongoing issue since the early 1990s.

Since the Korean war (1950-1953) North Korea has focused on rapid military expansion, including developing nuclear weapons. Despite widespread poverty, the country spends an average 25% of GDP on Defence. As of 2024, North Korea maintains the fourth-largest military in the world by numbers with 1.2 million active personnel and 600,000 reservists. Hostility between the two Koreas has been ongoing since the division. The relationship is complicated further by a growing military alliance between North Korea and Russia.