Provinces of North Korea

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Provinces of The Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Provinces of Korea (DPRK point of view)-en+Inter-Korean border.svg
Category Unitary state
Location North Korea
Number16 (8 controlled by DPRK, 7 controlled by ROK & 1 split between DPRK and ROK)
Populations719,269 (Ryanggang Province) – 4,051,696 (South Pyongan)
Areas11,255 km2 (4,346 sq mi) (Kangwon) – 18,970 km2 (7,320 sq mi) (South Hamgyong) – 28,955 km2 (11,180 sq mi) (Kangwon including ROK controlled-parts)
Government
Subdivisions

Provinces are the first level of division within North Korea. There are nine provinces in North Korea: Chagang, North Hamgyong, South Hamgyong, North Hwanghae, South Hwanghae, Kangwon, North Pyongan, South Pyongan, and Ryanggang. [1] [ full citation needed ]

Contents

History

Although the details of local administration have changed dramatically over time, the basic outline of the current three-tiered system was implemented under the reign of Gojong in 1895. A similar system also remains in use in South Korea.

Provinces (Korean : ; Hancha : ) are the highest-ranked administrative divisions in North Korea. Provinces have equal status to the special cities.

List of provinces

The populations listed for each province are from the 2008 North Korea Census. From this census, an additional 702,372 people are living in military camps.

Name Chosŏn'gŭl Hancha ISO PopulationArea
(km2)
Density
(/km2)
Capital Region
Chagang 자강도慈江道KP-041,299,83016,76577.5 Kanggye Kwanso
North Hamgyong 함경북도咸鏡北道KP-092,327,36215,980145.6 Chongjin Kwanbuk
South Hamgyong 함경남도咸鏡南道KP-083,066,01318,534165.4 Hamhung Kwannam
North Hwanghae 황해북도黃海北道KP-062,113,6728,153.7259.2 Sariwon Haeso
South Hwanghae 황해남도黃海南道KP-052,310,4858,450.3273.4 Haeju Haeso
Kangwon 강원도江原道KP-071,477,58211,091133.2 Wonsan Kwandong
North Pyongan 평안북도平安北道KP-032,728,66212,680.3215.2 Sinuiju Kwanso
South Pyongan 평안남도平安南道KP-024,051,69611,890.6340.7 Pyongsong Kwanso
Ryanggang 량강도兩江道KP-10719,26913,88051.8 Hyesan Kwannam

Claimed provinces

North Korea claims seven provinces on the territory controlled by South Korea. While people's committees for these claimed provinces were elected in 1950 during the Korean War, no government-in-exile for them exists as of 2025, unlike the South Korean counterpart. These provinces are based on the divisions of the Japanese era, but correspond somewhat to the present South Korean provinces and the special cities partitioned out of them, owing to the alterations in the provincial division affected by South Korea being more conservative relatively to those affected by the north.

Historical provinceName Chosŏn'gŭl Hancha CapitalEquivalent South Korean provinces
Ch'ungch'ŏng North Ch'ungch'ŏng 충청북도忠淸北道 Ch'ŏngju North Chungcheong Province
Sejong Special Self-Governing City (part)
Ch'ungch'ŏng South Ch'ungch'ŏng 충청남도忠淸南道 Taejŏn South Chungcheong Province
Daejeon Metropolitan City
Sejong Special Self-Governing City (part)
Kyŏnggi Kyŏnggi 경기도京畿道 Sŏul Gyeonggi Province (except parts of Pocheon and Yeoncheon County)
Seoul Special City
Incheon Metropolitan City
Kyŏngsang North Kyŏngsang 경상북도慶尙北道 Taegu North Gyeongsang (except Uljin County)
Daegu Metropolitan City
Kyŏngsang South Kyŏngsang 경상남도慶尙南道 Pusan South Gyeongsang Province
Busan Metropolitan City
Ulsan Metropolitan City
Chŏlla North Chŏlla 전라북도全羅北道 Chŏnju North Jeolla Province
Chŏlla South Chŏlla 전라남도全羅南道 Kwangju South Jeolla Province
Jeju Special Self-Governing Province
Gwangju Metropolitan City

See also

References

  1. [Provinces are the first level of division within North Korea. There are 9 provinces in North Korea: Chagang, North Hamgyong, South Hamgyong, North Hwanghae, South Hwanghae, Kangwon, North Pyongan, South Pyongan, and Ryanggang. "North Korea: Administrative Division"]. City Population. Retrieved 11 November 2024.{{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)