Korea, North

Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Flag
Location  Asia
Capital  Pyongyang
Area  120,538 sq km
Population  25,381,085

"All things come to those that wait"
(Proverb/Quote of the Week)

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January

January 1 January 2 January 3 January 4 January 5 January 6 January 7 Since 7 January 2013 foreign visitors to North Korea are for the first time being allowed to take their own mobile phones with them into the country. Visitors can now buy a SIM card at the airport, which will let them make international calls. But they cannot make local calls or go online. January 8 January 9 January 10 January 11 January 12 January 13 January 14 January 15 January 16 The Associated Press, an American news agency, formally opened a news bureau in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang on 16 January 2012. It is the first international news organization with a full-time presence to cover news from North Korea in words, pictures and video. January 17 January 18 January 19 January 20 January 21 January 22 January 23 January 24 January 25 January 26 January 27 January 28 January 29 January 30 January 31

February

February 1 February 2 February 3 February 4 February 5 February 6 February 7 North Korea successfully launched an earth observation satellite Kwangmyongsong-4 into orbit on 7 February 2016. February 8 February 9 February 10 February 11 February 12 February 13 February 14 February 15 February 16 February 17 February 18 February 19 February 20 North and South Korea held highly anticipated family reunions, from 20 to 25 February 2014, since they were separated by the 1950-53 Korean War. It was the first such event since 2010. February 21 February 22 February 23 February 24 February 25 North Korea opened up mobile Internet access to visiting foreigners from 25 February 2013. February 26 February 27 February 28 February 29

March

March 1 March 2 March 3 March 4 March 5 March 6 March 7 March 8 March 9 March 10 March 11 March 12 North Korea and China reopened passenger train service between Pyongyang and Beijing on 12 March 2026, six years after the international rail service was suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic. March 13 March 14 March 15 March 16 March 17 March 18 March 19 March 20 March 21 March 22 March 23 March 24 March 25 March 26 March 27 North Korea is one of the 11 South Asian countries declared polio-free by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 27 March 2014. The region has been maintaining its polio-free status for the last 3 years. March 28 March 29 March 30 March 31

April

April 1 April 2 An online commercial service system, called Okryu, was launched in North Korea, as announced on 2 April 2015 by its official news agency KCNA. April 3 April 4 April 5 April 6 April 7 April 8 April 9 April 10 April 11 April 12 April 13 April 14 April 15 April 16 April 17 April 18 April 19 April 20 April 21 April 22 April 23 April 24 April 25 April 26 The leaders of North and South Korea on 26 April 2018 committed themselves to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and pledged to bring a formal end to the Korean War. The declaration came following the historic summit when Kim Jong Un became the first North Korean leader to cross into South Korean territory since 1953 and met the South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Koryolink, North Korea’s sole 3G cellular service provider, has officially launched its 3G service, as reported on 26 April 2013. April 27 April 28 April 29 April 30

May

May 1 May 2 May 3 May 4 May 5 May 6 May 7 May 8 May 9 May 10 May 11 May 12 May 13 May 14 May 15 May 16 May 17 May 18 First ferry service between North Korea and Russia opened on 18 May 2017 aimed at serving tourists and workers. The vessel, called the Mangyongbong, will sail once a week between the Russian port of Vladivostok and the North Korean port of Rajin. May 19 May 20 May 21 May 22 May 23 May 24 May 25 May 26 May 27 May 28 May 29 May 30 May 31

June

June 1 June 2 June 3 June 4 June 5 June 6 June 7 June 8 June 9 North and South Korea hold their first talks in two years on 9 June 2013, confronting decades of mutual distrust in a search for some positive end to months of recent military tensions. This meeting was also aimed to lay the groundwork for a revival of stalled economic cooperation projects between the two Koreas. June 10 June 11 North Korea appointed veteran diplomat Choe Son-hui as its first female foreign minister, North Korean state media reported on 11 June 2022. June 12 June 13 June 14 June 15 June 16 June 17 North Korea qualified for the Soccer World Cup 2010 for the first time since 1966 following a goalless draw against Saudi Arabia on June 17, 2009. The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the second World Cup appearance in their history. June 18 June 19 June 20 June 21 June 22 North and South Korea received the 2018 Luxembourg Peace Prize in the Outstanding Peace Process category in recognition of the ongoing peace process between the two neighbouring countries. June 23 Historic monuments and sites in Kaesong, North Korea, including sites from the country's Koryo Dynasty from the 10th to 14th centuries, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on 23 June 2013. June 24 June 25 June 26 June 27 June 28 June 29 June 30

July

July 1 North and South Korea reopened a maritime communication channel on 1 July 2018, with vessels from the two countries making radio contact for the first time in a decade. July 2 July 3 July 4 July 5 July 6 July 7 July 8 July 9 July 10 July 11 July 12 July 13 July 14 July 15 July 16 July 17 July 18 July 19 July 20 July 21 North Korea's economy grew at its fastest pace in 17 years due to a jump in exports and increased production in mining and other industries. Gross domestic product grew by 3.9% in 2016 compared with the previous year, according to the official figures revealed on 21 July 2017. North Korea beat South Korea 2-1 in an inter-Korean football showdown at the Women's East Asian Cup on 21 July 2013. The match took place against a backdrop of lingering tensions on the divided Korean Peninsula. July 22 July 23 July 24 July 25 July 26 July 27 A cease fire was issued between South Korea and North Korea on July 27, 1953 ending the Korean War. The Korean War, also known as the first military clash of the Cold War, took place between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Soviet Union. July 28 Ryang Chun Hwa of North Korea took the Olympic bronze in the women's 48-kilogram weight division, lifting a combined total of 192kg, at the London Olympic Games on 28 July 2012. July 29 It is all golden affairs for North Korea at the London Olympics on 29 July 2012 - Om Yun Chol won Weightlifting gold medal in the men's 56-kilogram category and An Kum Ae won Judo gold medal in the women's 52-kilogram category. July 30 North Korea claimed their third Olympic gold medal at the London 2012 Games after Kim Un Guk triumphed in the men's 62kg weightlifting. The 23-year-old's 153kg snatch equaled the world's best and broke the Olympic record. July 31

August

August 1 North Korea claimed their third weightlifting gold medal at the London Olympic Games on 1 August 2012 as Rim Jong Sim won the women's 69kg title by a 5kg margin. August 2 August 3 August 4 August 5 August 6 August 7 August 8 August 9 August 10 August 11 North Korea has unveiled its first home-built smartphone, the Arirang, as reported by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on 11 August 2013. August 12 Jong Sim Rim of North Korea won gold in Women's 75kg Weightlifting at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil. August 13 August 14 August 15 RI Se Gwang of North Korea won the Men's Vault Artistic Gymnastics gold at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil. August 16 August 17 August 18 August 19 August 20 Ri Ssong Gum of North Korea won gold in Women's 48kg Weightlifting at the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia on 20 August 2018. August 21 August 22 August 23 August 24 August 25 North Korean shooter Pak Myong-won won the gold medal in the men's 10-meter running target mixed competition at the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia on 25 August 2018. August 26 August 27 August 28 North Korean shooter Li Ho-jun won the gold medal in the 50 meter rifle prone event at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich on August 28, 1972. It was the first ever Olympic gold medal for North Korea. August 29 Officials from Japan and North Korea held their first government-to-government talks in four years on 29 August 2012. The talks are being held at the Japanese Embassy in China for preliminary discussions to pave the way for full-fledged talks in the future covering a broader agenda. It is a significant milestone as the countries currently do not have formal diplomatic relations. August 30 August 31 North Korea launched its first cruise ship in 2011. The cruise ship set sail on its maiden tour on August 31, 2011 carrying about 130 passengers from the rundown port of Rajin, near the China-Russia border.

September

September 1 North Korea and Iran signed a scientific and technological cooperation agreement on 1 September 2012 in Tehran in the presence of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and North Korea's second in command, Kim Yong Nam. September 2 September 3 September 4 September 5 September 6 North Korea launched its first domestically built operational tactical nuclear attack submarine — named Hero Kim Kun Ok — on 6 September 2023. September 7 North Korea and Russia on 7 September 2026 opened their first road bridge across their shared border, linking the two countries over the Tumen River. September 8 September 9 September 10 September 11 September 12 September 13 September 14 September 15 September 16 North and South Korea restarted operations at Kaesong industrial zone on 16 September 2013, five months after it was closed by soaring military tensions and threats of war between the two neighbors. September 17 September 18 September 19 September 20 North Korean weightlifter Om Yun Chol created a new world record in the clean and jerk, lifting 170 kilograms in the men's 56-kilogram class at the 2014 Asian Games. Pyongyang International Film Festival, the only chance to see a wide array of foreign films on the big screen — from Britain, Germany and elsewhere – in North Korea, was opened on 20 September 2012. The festival is held in every two years and under the current political situation, it's the only time foreigners are allowed into North Korean theaters to watch movies alongside locals. September 21 September 22 North Korea won the silver medal in the women's team artistic gymnastics at the Incheon Asian Games on 22 September 2014. September 23 North Korea's Ri Song-gum won gold in the women’s 49kg (108lbs) weightlifting at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. North Korea won the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-16 Women’s Championship by defeating South Korea 2-0 in the final in Chonburi, Thailand on 23 September 2017. September 24 September 25 September 26 September 27 September 28 September 29 September 30

October

October 1 October 2 October 3 October 4 October 5 October 6 October 7 October 8 October 9 North Korea conducted its first nuclear test on October 9, 2006. North Korea is the eighth country in the world to successfully develop and test nuclear weapon. October 10 October 11 October 12 October 13 October 14 October 15 North Korea and China on 15 October 2015 opened a border trade zone, the latest effort to boost economic ties between the countries. Chinese people living within 20 kilometers of the trade zone in Dandong can buy North Korean goods without paying import tax if they spend less than 8,000 yuan (US$1,250) per day. The Munsu Water Park, a water amusement park in Pyongyang that has been under construction since early 2013, opened with a ceremony on 15 October 2013. October 16 October 17 October 18 October 19 October 20 October 21 North Korea's women's U-17 football team won the FIFA World Cup for the second time on 21 October 2016 beating Japan in penalty kicks 5-4 (0-0) in Jordan. October 22 October 23 October 24 October 25 October 26 October 27 October 28 October 29 October 30 October 31

November

November 1 North and South Korea were jointly named as the most positive countries from Asia at the World’s Most Positive Countries 2018. November 2 November 3 North Korea won a record third Women's Football World Cup at under-17 level following a penalty shoot-out victory, 1-1 (4-3), over two-time defending champions Spain in Santo Domingo on 3 November 2024. November 4 November 5 November 6 November 7 November 8 November 9 November 10 November 11 November 12 November 13 November 14 November 15 November 16 November 17 November 18 November 19 November 20 November 21 November 22 North Korea on 22 November 2023 successfully placed a spy satellite into orbit with its third launch attempt this year. November 23 November 24 November 25 November 26 November 27 November 28 November 29 November 30

December

December 1 December 2 The tradition of making North Korean kimchi was added to the 2015 UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Kimchi is a dish made with various vegetables, including wild greens, as well as spices, fruit, meat, fish or fermented seafood before undergoing lactic fermentation. December 3 December 4 December 5 December 6 December 7 December 8 December 9 December 10 December 11 December 12 North Korea on 12 December 2012 successfully launched a long-range Unha rocket to put its first satellite, North Korean Kwangmyŏngsŏng weather satellite, into space the aim of what critics say is a disguised ballistic missile test. December 13 December 14 December 15 December 16 December 17 December 18 December 19 December 20 December 21 December 22 December 23 North Korean women’s football team ended 2016 as the third highest ranked Asian national team according to the December FIFA listing released on 23 December 2016. December 24 December 25 December 26 December 27 December 28 December 29 North Korea on 29 December 2014 signed a sports exchange protocol with China for 2015. The agreement included 18 sports exchange programs covering football, shooting, judo and involved 585 people including coaches, athletes and physical educators from both countries. December 30 December 31

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