Administrative divisions of North Korea

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Politics of North Korea
Constitution Juche  (state ideology) Songun  ("military-first" policy) Eternal leaders Kim Il Sung Kim Jong Il
Workers' Party of Korea Congress (8th) General Secretary and Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Personal Secretariat Rules Central Committee (8th) Politburo (8th) Presidium (8th) Kim Jong Un Choe Ryong-hae Jo Yong-won Kim Tok-hun Ri Pyong-chol Secretariat (8th) Central Military Commission (8th) Chairman Kim Jong Un Vice Chairman Ri Yong-gil Ri Pyong-chol Central Auditing Commission (8th) Chairman Kim Jae-ryong Organization and Guidance Department Propaganda and Agitation Department United Front Department
Supreme People's Assembly 14th term Chairman Pak In-chol Standing Committee (14th) Chairman Choe Ryong-hae Judiciary Central Court (14th) President Kang Yun-sok Central Public Prosecutors (14th) Director Kim Myong-gil
State Affairs Commission 14th term President Kim Jong Un First Vice President Choe Ryong-hae Vice President Kim Tok-hun Organizations Ministry of National Defense Ministry of State Security Ministry of Social Security National Sports Guidance Committee
Cabinet 14th term Premier Kim Tok-hun Vice Premier Pak Jong-gun Jon Hyon-chol Kim Song-ryong Ri Song-hak Pak Hun Ju Chol-gyu Cabinet Ministries Ministry of Sport Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Chemical Industry Ministry of of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry of Metal Industry Ministry of Machinery Industry Ministry of Urban Management Ministry of Land, Sea and Maritime Affairs Ministry of Forestry Ministry of External Economic Relations Ministry of Education Ministry of Culture Ministry of Labor Ministry of Commerce Ministry of Coal Industry Ministry of Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Ministry of Fisheries Ministry of Atomic Energy Ministry of Finance Ministry of Electricity Ministry of Information Industry Ministry of Local Industry Ministry of Mining Industry Ministry of Railways Ministry of Construction and Building Materials Industry Ministry of Light Industry Ministry of State Construction Supervision Ministry of National Resources Development
Elections Recent elections Parliamentary: 2009 2014 2019 Local: 2015 2019 2023
Administrative divisions First-level Provinces Special cities Second-level cities Kun  (county) Third-level Eup  (town) Dong  (neighborhood) Ri  (village) Rodongjagu  (workers' district)
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister: Choe Son-hui Diplomatic missions of / in North Korea Nationality law Passport Visa requirements Visa policy Korean conflict Korean reunification
Related topics Censorship Human rights Kim family (Ten Principles) Propaganda Illicit activities Law Enforcement Security Ministry
North Korea portal Other countries
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The administrative divisions of North Korea are organized into three hierarchical levels. These divisions were created in 2002. Many of the units have equivalents in the system of South Korea. At the highest level are nine provinces and four special municipalities. The second-level divisions are cities, counties, and districts. These are further subdivided into third-level entities: towns, dongs (neighborhoods), ris (villages), and workers' districts.

The three-level administrative system used in North Korea was first inaugurated by Kim Il Sung in 1952, as part of a massive restructuring of local government. Previously, the country had used a multi-level system similar to that still used in South Korea.

(The English translations are not official, but approximations. Names are romanized according to the McCune-Reischauer system as officially used in North Korea; the editor was also guided by the spellings used on the 2003 National Geographic map of Korea).