Provinces of North Korea
| Provinces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea | |
|---|---|
| Category | Unitary state |
| Location | North Korea |
| Number | 16 (8 controlled by DPRK, 7 controlled by ROK & 1 split between DPRK and ROK) |
| Populations | 719,269 (Ryanggang Province) – 4,051,696 (South Pyongan) |
| Areas | 11,255 km2 (4,346 sq mi) (Kangwon) – 18,970 km2 (7,320 sq mi) (South Hamgyong) – 28,955 km2 (11,180 sq mi) (Kangwon including ROK controlled-parts) |
| Government | |
| Subdivisions |
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| This article is part of a series on the |
| Administrative divisions of North Korea |
|---|
| Provincial level |
|
Province (도 道 to) |
|
Special municipality (특별시 特別市 t'ŭkpyŏlsi) |
| Municipal level |
|
City (시 市 si) |
|
County (군 郡 kun) |
|
District (구역 區域 kuyŏk) |
| Submunicipal level |
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Town (읍 邑 ŭp) |
|
Neighborhood (동 洞 dong) |
|
Village (리 里 ri) |
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Workers' District (로동자구 勞動者區 rodongjagu) |
Provinces (Korean: 도; Hanja: 道; RR: do; MR: to) are the first level of division within North Korea. There are nine provinces in North Korea: Chagang, North Hamgyong, South Hamgyong, North Hwanghae, South Hwanghae, Kangwon, North Pyongan, South Pyongan, and Ryanggang.
Unlike in decentralized states, the provinces of North Korea are not autonomous local governments and merely act as administrative arms of the central government, responsible for implementing directives from the Supreme People's Assembly, the Cabinet and ultimately the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).