North Korea: Here's all you need to know about 'the most secretive nation in the world'

Kim Jong-un was not even 30 when he took control of North Korea following his father’s demise in 2011, but now it has been 10 years of the dictator’s rule in the world’s most secretive country. Some information about the isolated nation and its people are known, though most are based on estimates from outside agencies. From assassinations to illegal drug laboratories, North Korean defectors have opened up about the “hermit kingdom”, which shares borders with Russia and China.

North Korea frequently makes headlines across the globe as its government continues to tout its military hardware and make boisterous nuclear threats. The nation has also been linked to several cyber-related incidents, but it has repeatedly denied involvement. Now, the one thing that remains a bit of a mystery is what goes on inside the hermit kingdom. Therefore, here are some of the things we do know about what makes the country tick: 

Corruption, population and poverty

North Korea is a confusing mix of communism, dictatorship, tyranny, and monarchy. According to the Corruption index from Transparency Internation, the isolated country is one of the world’s most corrupt nations. North Korea also ranks third for meting out the death penalty, as per Amnesty International’s death penalty statistics. 

Due to a tightly-controlled state media, it is difficult to reveal the concrete numbers of how many people have died from starvation and malnourishment-related conditions such as diarrhoea and pneumonia. However, North Korea scored 25.2 on the 2021 Global Hunger Index, which is a level classed as ‘serious’ by the International Food Policy Research Institute. According to a report by the United Nations World Food Programme, 10 million people living in North Korea - a country with a total population of 25 million - are malnourished. 

Food insecurity means that "an entire generation of children" are undernourished, as the United Nations has reported. 

Interestingly, according to The Independent, North Koreans born after the Korean War are about two inches shorter than South Koreans on average. The height difference is attributed to the fact that millions of North Koreans are in need of food, and one-third of children are chronically malnourished. Now, experts believe that under Kim Jong-un, the country may surpass even the ghastly death tolls of his two familial predecessors. 

Military strength, nuclear capability and capital punishment

As mentioned above, North Korea ranks third for meting out the death penalty. For now, the number of people Kim Jong-un has personally ordered to be killed - such as his uncle in 2013 and a half brother in 2017 - is likely to number in hundreds. In 2011, a former North Korean official revealed that when Kim Jong-un ascended to the political throne, he decided to purge those perceived as a threat. During that time, there had long been suggestions that Kim’s uncle Jang Song-thaek was the de-facto leader of North Korea, as Kim Jong-il's health faded. However, in 2013, the North Korean media announced that Jang has been executed. 

North Korea has been an unsafe shelter for its citizens because of the violation of civil rights and brutal federal rule. Sanctions have already been imposed by many countries over reports that thousands of people in the isolated nation have been imprisoned and sent to labour camps because they dissent with the government. The 25 million people of North Korea are tightly controlled, so most have little or no idea of world events, or how their country is thought of by the outside world.

Coming to North Korea’s military strength, according to the IISS Military Balance, the country has nearly two million people on active duty, plus around 200,000 active paramilitary personnel and a further 600,000-700,000 reservists. Even though North Korea is one of the poorest countries in the world, a major chunk of its resources are used to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. 

In recent years, under Kim Jong-un, the nation has also stepped up arms testing and now possess threats in the shape of thermonuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles that can strike most of the mainland United States. Kim has shown little sign that he will ease off the development of the country’s military prowess, however, his future plans for the North still remains unknown. It is to mention that between 2016 and 2018, North Korea has conducted three nuclear tests and 30 short and long missile launches along with an intercontinental missile launch. 

North Korea’s bizarre rules 

North Korea is a totalitarian regime that follows different rules from the rest of the world. The nation keeps a lot of secrets and has many unusual laws. For example, listening to foreign music or watching films in a foreign language are considered criminal activities. Back in 2015, Kim issued a decree to scrap all cassette tapes and CDs that had state-banned songs in order to contain dissent. 

Falling asleep in a meeting while Kim speaks could fetch capital punishment. Anything that disrespects the family of Kim Jong-un, the North Korean government or the politicians is considered an act of blasphemy and may be met with severe punishment. But unlike the rest of the world, consuming marijuana is accepted and trade and consumption of the drug attract no punishment as per law. North Koreans are not allowed to travel abroad without permission. The Internet can only be accessed through their intranet, which is called "Kwangmyong" or Bright, launched in 2000. 

Freedom of religion is a myth in North Korea. The country reportedly cuts power every night due to the energy crisis in the country. It spends 20% of its GDP on the military even when the population is desperate for food. Military service is compulsory for men and women. Alcohol, dancing and smiling on the 8th of June - North Korean President Kim Il-sung death anniversary - are not allowed. North Korean laws say jeans are a symbol of capitalism - the ultimate evil on Earth and therefore must be banned.

Image: AP