One of most well-known things about North Korea is its unusual name. “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” is long and often derided, since the country is far from democratic and in many ways closer to monarchy than to a republic. So how did it come about?
The first thing one should know about the origins of the name is that it is literally called "Korean Democratic People’s Republic" (조선민주주의인민공화국) in Korean, but "Korean People’s-Democratic Republic" (Корейская Народно-Демократическая Республика) in Russian.
One of most well-known things about North Korea is its unusual name. “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” is long and often derided, since the country is far from democratic and in many ways closer to monarchy than to a republic. So how did it come about?
The first thing one should know about the origins of the name is that it is literally called "Korean Democratic People’s Republic" (조선민주주의인민공화국) in Korean, but "Korean People’s-Democratic Republic" (Корейская Народно-Демократическая Республика) in Russian.
Become a member for less
than $5.75 per week.
-
Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations,
analysis
-
The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in
the loop
-
Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns
-
Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting
Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting,
investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts.
Subscribe
now
All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time.