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

Chinese President Xi Jinping has wrapped up a two-day visit to Pyongyang, his first official trip to North Korea since 2019.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

North Korea is the only country with which China has such a military agreement, though Pyongyang also signed a mutual defence treaty with Russia in 2024.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

Kim does not mention any process to develop and "North Korea still refuses to learn from China's developmental experience", he said.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

"No matter how the times change or how the international situation evolves, the traditional friendship between China and North Korea is always invincible," Xi wrote.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

North Korea had just conducted a nuclear test, and Barack was soon to leave for Egypt to deliver a major address meant to extend an open hand to Muslims around the world.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama