North Korea

North Korea, also known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, was officially founded in 1948 under the leadership of Kim Il Sung. With the backing of the Soviet Union, North Korea in 1950 attacked South Korea, which was militarily supported by the United States. North Korean forces initially advanced well into South Korea but were ultimately repelled by troops from South Korea, the United Nations, and the United States. The rout of North Korea’s forces was averted when they were reinforced by a substantial number of Chinese soldiers. The conflict ended in a stalemate in 1953.

Following the war, Kim Il Sung instituted a government policy of Juche, meaning self-reliance, which was intended to shut the country off from foreign influence by only allowing the ...