Symbols
The design of the flag dates from 1948. Blue stripes indicate sovereignty and peace; red stands for the revolution and struggle for the establishment of socialism; white -- a traditional Korean symbolic color -- stands for purity and dignity of the nation and its ideals. The star symbolizes the Korean Worker's Party and the building of socialism. | Originally designed in 1948, the seal has undergone some revisions until this official version in 1993. It shows the red star of the revolution shining over Mt. Paektu, the Sup'ung Dam, power lines and a hydroelectric plant, and sheaves of wheat. The inscription is "Democratic People's Republic of Korea." |
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"Official" North Korea Web Page(Graphics work better in Internet Explorer). This web site (Korean Friendship Association), "Official webpage of the DPR of Korea," has more text-heavy information than Naenara and a good, straight-forward organization of topics and sub-topics Web site includes some news, DPRK history, politics and political terminology, society and customs; an E-library with the Kims' books and articles; a Shop site and more. Some current news. With its white-on-black or red-on-black text, the web pages can be hard to read.
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Naenara - Democratic People's Republic of Korea[Best with Firefox. Web site may be blocked from access] This web site (Korea Computer Center in Pyongyang) has a more modern look with interactive features, including videos. Tabs for news, politics, economy & trade, society & culture (includes link to online books & periodicals); history & folk customs, "Korea is One," and tourism.
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North Korea Portal(Wikipedia portal.) Contains an introduction, selected articles and images, a list of categories leading to A-Z sub-lists; recent news articles; and a section of links to North Korea topics covered in Wikipedia.
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Cornell East Asia Collections, Korean Resources web siteLinks to databases, encyclopedias, dictionaries, news sources, biographical sources, statistics sources, and more.
Definitions -- DPRK Terminology
Juche (DPRK) calendar: Years are counted from 1911, when Kim Il-Sung was conceived. 2015 is Juche 104. On North Korean news web sites for example, a sample date would be August 5, Juche 104. (Although he was actually born in 1912, In Korea babies are considered to be 1 year old at birth.)
Pyongyang time zone: The DPRK decided to mark the 70th anniversary in 2015 of the defeat of the Japanese in WWII by changing its time zone by 30 minutes. According to news source Rodong Sinmun (8/8/15), "It was on August 15 when President Kim Il Sung, benefactor of national resurrection and peerless patriot, crushed the brigandish Japanese imperialists by making long journeys of anti-Japanese bloody battles and liberated Korea." Japan had set Korea's time zone to coincide with theirs at 9 hours ahead of GMT; North Korea's would be 1/2 hour earlier. However in 2018 North Korea reverted to the same time zone as South Korea (and Japan).
Juche/Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism: North Korea's central ideology and official guiding principle, developed by Kim Il Sung and expanded by Kim Jong-Il, emphasizing self-reliance, independence, and the belief of the people in themselves (with the guidance of the leader) to determine their own destiny, with man rather than a supreme religious power as the center. (on this Naenara page, scroll down to "Guiding Ideology" in the menu.)
Songun: Political system based on military priority or military-first ideology. Elucidated first by Kim Il Sung as armed struggle for independence and the revolution, then developed further by Kim Jong Il in his role as General of the KPA and expanded by Kim Jong Un. KPA (Korean People's Army) as top priority, KWP (Korean Workers' Party) as second priority. August 25 is a national holiday, Day of Songun.
Chollima speed: Chollima was an ancient mythical steed, the "thousand-ri horse" who could rapidly cover great distances. Begun in 1956, the Chollima Movement -- "Chollima speed"-- became a byword for achieving the fastest possible construction and economic production.
Songbun: A social classification scheme developed by Kim Il Sung in the 1950's but continues to evolve. It organized the populace into groups that determined where they could live, work, and what type of education they would receive. Ancestry and [parents/grandparents] actions during the Japanese Occupation and the Korean War were very important. With generations becoming further removed from that era, other attributes can help or hinder one's social songbun.
Kangsongdaeguk (Kangsong Taeguk): KIm Jong-Il's concept announced in 1998 has as its theme a "powerful and prosperous country" focusing on ideology, politics, the military, and the economy.
Library locations and Contact information
For information and reference help, please email Asia Reference at asiaref@cornell.edu, or visit the office, room 180 Kroch Library, near the Asia Reading Room.
All books listed in this LibGuide are in Kroch Library Asia Collections unless otherwise noted.
Kroch Library has two stack levels, 1 and B1. Level 1 (main level) has "oversize" books which have a plus or double plus (+ or ++) in the call number. All regular size books are on the lower level,1B.
Books with REF in the call number are reference books, located in the Kroch Asia Reading Room and cannot be checked out.
Books with a location listed as Library Annex (off-site storage facility) can be requested online on the library catalog record, and delivered to a campus library (or campus office), usually within a couple of days.
Background Info on North Korea
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Historical Dictionary of Democratic People's Republic of Korea by "This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Democratic People's Republic of Korea contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 400 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture."
Call Number: REF DS930.8 .H63 2019 (2nd ed)Publication Date: 2019 (Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press) -
Korea Annual: a Comprehensive Handbook on Korea by Library has 1964 to most recent. Most current issue is on Reference. Includes separate section on North Korea, covering top 10 news stories, politics, military, diplomacy, economy, society, culture & sports, inter-Korean relations.
Call Number: REF DS 901 K775Publication Date: Seoul, Korea : Yonhap News Agency -
The Far East and Australasia The North Korea section has a history of the DPRK and analysis of current politics and economics. Includes basic statistics tables. Detailed directory of current gov't structure and positions (including names); diplomats, defense, business & commerce, society & media directories.
Call Number: REF DS 4 F21 +Publication Date: 2015 (London: Europa Publications). Latest volume located in dictionary stand in Asia Reading Room. Full-text online via Europa World Plus; click on title. -
East and Southeast Asia : The World Today Series by Updated annually, East & Southeast Asia provides historical and political background of countries in this region, overview of state of the economy, and in the case of North Korea, discussion of the nuclear program. Analysis of DPRK's current leadership problems and social changes.
Call Number: REF + DS 502 F18Publication Date: 2014 (Harper's Ferry, W. Va.: Stryker-Post Publications). Most recent issue in Asia Reading Room.
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Economist Intelligence Unit - Country Reports - North KoreaSummary of highlights & analysis, basic data and political structure; selected articles for topics Politics and Economy; archive of reports.
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CIA World Factbook - North KoreaExpandable topics have details on history (Introduction), Geography, People & Society, Government, Economy, Energy, Communications, Transportation, Military, and Transnational Issues.
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North Korea: What Everyone Needs to Know by Diplomatic expert Patrick McEachern unpacks the contentious and tangled relationship between the two Koreas in an approachable question-and-answer format, organized by topic: Cold-War, post-Cold War, nuclear weapons, economy, relations with US, Japan and South Korea, 21st c. leadership.
Call Number: DS935.5 .M36 2019Publication Date: 2019 (New York, NY : Oxford University Press) -
North Korea Confidential: Private Markets, Fashion Trends, Prison Camps, Dissenters and Defectors by Named one of the best books of 2015 by The Economist, this book explains how the devastating famine of the 1990s became a catalyst for a network of black markets which have created a new generation of North Korean capitalists. In seven fascinating chapters the authors explore modern North Korea today for the ordinary "man and woman on the street." They... tap a broad variety of sources to bring a startling new insider's view of North Korean society--from members of Pyongyang's ruling families to defectors from different periods and regions, to diplomats and NGOs, to cross-border traders from neighboring China. The resulting stories reveal the horror as well as the innovation and humor which abound in this fascinating country.
Publication Date: 2015 ( Tokyo ; Rutland, Vermont ; Singapore : Tuttle Publishing)
Other Reference Sources
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National Atlas of Korea by [2014 edition is on order] Physical geography, social and economic conditions; maps of the territory and administrative districts from 5thc .Samguk period to the 1948 USSR/USA division.
A concise edition with a separate gazetteer volume is in the ++ area of reading room, G2330 K832++Call Number: REF G 2330 K83 +++ (Located in the atlas cases in Asia reading room).Publication Date: 2007 (Suwon-si, Korea: National Geographic Information Institute) -
朝鮮民主主義人民共和国組織別人名簿 / Chōsen Minshu Shugi Jinmin Kyōwakoku soshikibetsu jinmeibo = North Korea Directory In English and Korean. Detailed directory of names of Workers' Party officials, state committees and organizations members, the assembly and cabinet ministries members, the judicial branch; political parties & public organizations; military leaders & army organizations; friendhsip (with other countries) groups; scientific & academic organizations and colleges; press, publishing, literature & art groups; provincial organizations.
Call Number: REF DS 930.9 C47 2014 +Publication Date: 2014 (Tokyo: Rajio Puresu) -
북한대사전 / Pukhan taesajŏn In Korean. One-volume 1309- page encyclopedia of North Korea. Includes several pages of color photos, and color descriptions of various units' military insignia and ranks.
Call Number: REF DS 930.8 P84x 1999 +Publication Date: 1999 (Sŏul Tʻŭkpyŏlsi : Pukhan Yŏnʾguso) -
英朝 ·朝英 辞典 / Yŏng-Cho, Cho-Yŏng sajŏn Dictionary of North Korean terminology (ex., "homeland of Juche," "revolutionary zeal," "high international prestige of the DPRK"), English to Korean script, Korean to English.
Call Number: REF PL 939 Y64 1999Publication Date: 1999 (Sŏul : Kukka Chŏngbowŏn : Tosŏch'ulp'an Hanul) -
North Korea Handbook by Located in Kroch Asia reading room. This is a general studies resource covering geography, politics, economy, society, culture & sports, diplomacy and military. Includes Who's Who, a chronology and more; also "special edition" essays on range of topics.
Call Number: REF DS 932 N5558x 2003+Publication Date: 2003 (Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe) -
북한 도시 읽기 / Pukhan tosi ilki : North Korean Atlas by In English and Korean. This atlas is classified in the urban planning subject area because it contains "as much raw data as possible" on the geography, population, infrastructure and industry of the country and its cities; studies of the structure of cities including satellite photos, diagrams, drawings, and demographic data; and "architectural typologies" of buildings and residences.
Call Number: REF HT 169 K7 P865Publication Date: 2014 (Soul T'ukpyolsi : Tamdi) -
Handbook for Korean Studies Librarianship Outside of Korea by This handbook has an extensive bibliography of print sources covering more than 30 subjects (chapter 4.5), chapter 5 covers fee-based electronic resources, free electronic resources, and English-language databases for Korean studies covering c. 25 subjects.
Call Number: REF Z 670 A3 H36 2014 +Publication Date: 2014 (Seoul : National Library of Korea)
Asia Information & Reference
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Phone: 607-255-8199
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