North Korea

American  

[nawrth kuh-ree-uh, kaw-, koh-] / ˈnɔrθ kəˈri ə, kɔ-, koʊ- /

noun

1. Official Name Democratic People's Republic of Korea.  a country in East Asia: formed 1948 after the division of the former country of Korea at the 38th parallel. 50,000 sq. mi. (129,500 sq. km). Pyongyang.

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North Korea British  

noun

1. Official name: Democratic People's Republic of Korea.  Korean name: Chosŏn.  a republic in NE Asia, on the Sea of Japan (East Sea) and the Yellow Sea: established in 1948 as a people's republic; mostly rugged and mountainous, with fertile lowlands in the west Language: Korean. Currency: won. Capital: Pyongyang. Pop: 24 720 407 (2013 est). Area: 122 313 sq km (47 225 sq miles)

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North Korea Cultural  

1. Republic on northern Korean Peninsula on east coast of Asia, bounded on the north by China, on the northeast by Russian Siberia, on the east by the Sea of Japan, on the south by South Korea, and on the west by the Yellow Sea and Korea Bay. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang.

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Discover More

The Korean War began in 1950, when North Korean forces invaded South Korea. Supplied by the Soviets, and eventually joined by the Chinese, North Korea fought forces of South Korea and the United Nations.

It was established in 1948 after two occupation zones were set up in northern and southern Korea during World War II.

Run by one most closed and repressive regimes on Earth, North Korea has suffered from food shortages and a deteriorating economy.

A communist country that used to have close ties with the Soviet Union, North Korea, continues to maintain a close relationship with China.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• North Korean
  adjective

Example Sentences

While for years China pressured North Korea to halt the development of nuclear weapons, it has recently stopped such demands, at least outwardly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

Previously, North Korea could produce roughly 215 kilograms of highly enriched uranium annually, according to Vertic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

China's president made a rare visit to diplomatically isolated North Korea on Monday after hosting a series of world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, in Beijing.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

The Kim regime could also be expanding uranium enrichment in anticipation of needing new supplies for a nuclear sub North Korea has under development, said Hailey Wingo, a co-author of the Vertic analysis.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

Song was the executive director of Liberty in North Korea, the human rights group that had helped bring him to the United States.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden