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'''North Korea''' (which styles itself the Peoples's Democratic Republic of Korea) is a totalitarian state that occupies the Korean peninsula north of a line that roughly follows the 38th parallel north. Ruled by the megalomaniacal dictator and 'Dear Leader' [[Kim Jong Il]], who succeeded his father the 'Great Leader' [[Kim Il Sung]], it is the last completely [[Stalinism|Stalinist]] government on Earth. It is one of the most oppressive governments in the world and has been criticized by people of all political stripes as brutal, evil, and totalitarian. North Korea has had difficulties with food shortages and being able to feed its citizens, but still spends extravagantly on its military.  

'''North Korea''' (which styles itself the Peoples's Democratic Republic of Korea) is a totalitarian state that occupies the Korean peninsula north of a line that roughly follows the 38th parallel north. Ruled by the megalomaniacal dictator and 'Dear Leader' [[Kim Jong Il]], who succeeded his father the 'Great Leader' [[Kim Il Sung]], it is the last completely [[Stalinism|Stalinist]] government on Earth. It is one of the most oppressive governments in the world and has been criticized by people of all political stripes as brutal, evil, and totalitarian. North Korea has had difficulties with food shortages and being able to feed its citizens, but still spends extravagantly on its military.  

The official North Korean ideology is known as [[Juche]] (roughly translates as "national self-reliance"), and since the mid 1990s, [[Songun]] ("military first").  A cult-like devotion to the "Great Leader" and "Dear Leader" is expected of citizens.

The official North Korean ideology is known as [[Juche]] (roughly translates as "national self-reliance"), and since the mid 1990s, [[Songun]] ("military first").  A cult-like devotion to the "Great Leader" and "Dear Leader" is expected of citizens, and heavily promoted in the North Korean news media which has little actual "news" and mostly consists of effuse praise toward Kim Jong Il, grandiose and unsubstantiated claims about great feats by him and his father, and repetitious admonitions that the Korean people are totally united as one behind his leadership.

On October 9, 2006, North Korea claimed to have detonated a nuclear device deep underground <ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6032525.stm</ref> but the yield was equivalent to only approximately 400 tons of chemical high explosive and some analysts believe no chain reaction was achieved.

On October 9, 2006, North Korea claimed to have detonated a nuclear device deep underground <ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6032525.stm</ref> but the yield was equivalent to only approximately 400 tons of chemical high explosive and some analysts believe no chain reaction was achieved.