"What's Your International IQ?"

North Korea, formally the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, is bordered by China and Russia, and separated by the Korean Demilitarized Zone from South Korea. It professed to be a Juche, meaning self-reliant, state. This theory of government was implement by its founder and former ruler, Kim Il-sung- around whom a cult of personality has been fostered- and added to its constitution in 1972. Officially, North Korea is a socialist republic, although many people consider it a totalitarian dictatorship similar to Stalin’s Soviet Union. Most of its strengths and weaknesses stem from this governmental structure.

Understandably, North Korea’s strengths include its military, health care, and education system. The army has four branches: the Ground Force, the Naval Force, the Air Force, and The State Security Department. It is the fifth-largest military in the world with over 1.2 million members who account for 20 percent of the men between the ages of 17 and 54. Furthermore, North Korea has a totally government-run, state-controlled economy. The only other nation in the world like this is Cuba. This benefits its people from the standpoint that their taxes pay for universal healthcare and education (which is compulsory until the secondary level). Not only does the state provide free instruction, it also provides children with free uniforms and materials. Other strengths of the nation include low pollution rates, inexpensive tourism costs, and warm climates.

Many challenges face the people of North Korea as well, also as a result of the leadership of their country. One of these is malnourishment. Economic reforms in 2002 led to inflation, which increased the price of basic foods. A survey conducted in 2006 by Amnesty International found that 7% of the children are severely malnourished, 37% were chronically malnourished, and 23.4% were underweight.

In fact, many human rights are nonexistent in North Korea. The government controls every aspect of the people’s lives with the use of propaganda, and severely limits the political and economic rights of its people. North Korea is one of the most homogenous countries in the world. Kim Il-sung is worshipped almost as a god in their culture, and any dissention is rooted out. Because of this tourism and foreign trade are highly restricted and the economy and foreign relations suffer. The lack of trade leaves little room for the economy to grow.

One of the most detrimental weaknesses that North Korea has is its negative foreign relations status. Trade is already severely restricted, and the fall of communism meant that many of the resources being provided for the nation by places like Russia and China have decline significantly. In addition, China requested that the number of refugees fleeing from North Korea be curbed, so a concrete and barbed wire fence was erected along that border. Even worse than that is its relations with most Western nations are poor. North Korea refuses both to join and to cooperate with efforts of the United Nations, meaning that world powerhouses such as the United States and Britain are against their government. The people thereby suffer because the aid provided by these countries is limited because they do not trust that the government will disburse the materials fairly. North Korea is, however, friendly with its socialist companions in the southeast, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

North Korea still has many weaknesses that will only be cured with time. But it has shown some hope for improvement. In 2000, both Koreas signed the June 15^th North-South Joint Declaration, promising to make peaceful attempts at reunification. North Korea is firm, though, in its intent to have no outside interference in this matter. Also, before a shooting in 2008 of a South Korean tourist, there had been a special tourism zone created for American and South Korean tourists to visit called the Kumgangsan Tourist Region, although admittedly this area was made up to be falsely inviting. Hopefully, though, these small efforts to reach out are signs of better days to come.