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Pyongyang photographed in March 20212

North Korea

Documents, timelines, essays, and more related to the domestic politics, foreign policy, and national security strategy of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), or North Korea.

Pyongyang photographed in March 20212

Associated Essays

The Korean War

The Korean War was a complex and multifaceted event that played a determining role in the evolution of the Cold War in Asia.

Written By

Gregg Brazinsky

The Second Korean War

Beginning in late 1966, a series of small conflicts erupted on the Korean Peninsula for the first time since the Korean War. With the deployment of guerillas into South Korea for the first time since the Korean War, the contentious period of violence became to be known as the “Second Korean War.”

Written By

Mitchell Lerner

Constitution of the DPRK

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has had a number of constitutions since its establishment in 1948

Written By

James E. Hoare

Supreme Peoples’ Assembly

The Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) is the legislative body (parliament) of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Written By

James E. Hoare

Connected Conn.

Popular Documents

December 27, 1952

Telegram from Stalin to Mao Zedong

Stalin agrees to send ammunitions to Mao in preparation for a US attack.

October 2, 1959

Discussion between N.S. Khrushchev and Mao Zedong

Khrushchev and Mao discuss current political situations in Tibet, India, Indochina and Taiwan.

January 13, 1951

Ciphered telegram, Roshchin to USSR Foreign Ministry

Message to Stalin from Roshchin informing him of the Chinese receipt of one of his earlier telegrams and informing him of an invitation to Beijing to Kim Il Sung and Peng Dehuai from Mao.

March 10, 1980

Evaluation of Chinese Policies toward Eastern Europe by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

This document addresses China's alleged bid to undermine the unity of the Socialist countries while maintaining special relations with Romania, Yugoslavia, and North Korea. Chinese foreign policy is seen as interfering in the domestic affairs of the Socialist states. By maintaining contacts with Western countries and by encouraging further armament of NATO, China is undermining the position of the Warsaw Pact. The Soviet evaluation assesses China as an unreliable partner in international relations and advises that all contacts of the Chinese government with foreign organizations or authorities be closely monitored.

September 1988

Record of Meetings in Prime Minister Takeshita’s Visit to China

Detailed summaries of Japanese Prime Minister Takeshita's conversations with Li Peng, Yang Shangkun, Deng Xiaoping, and Zhao Ziyang. Topics of discussion include Sino-Japanese political, economic, and cultural relations; China's economy and politics in the 1980s; the "history" problem; and the status of Taiwan. The two sides also discussed a range of international issues, including relations with the Soviet Union and the United States; developments on the Korean Peninsula; the Cambodian-Vietnamese conflict; the Iran-Iraq War; and Pakistan.
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