Government and power in North Korea
Who leads North Korea, how the World Bank's governance indicators score it, how many women sit in parliament and government, what the state spends and taxes, and the official bodies that hold power to account. System of government: Unitary socialist state led by the Workers' Party of Korea.
Who leads North Korea?
- Head of state: Kim Jong Un (General Secretary, Workers' Party of Korea, President of the State Affairs, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Supreme Commander of Armed Forces, Democratic People's Republic of Korea)
- Head of government: Pak Thae Song (Premier of the Cabinet of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)
- Foreign minister: Choe Son Hui (Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)
Source: Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs: Public List (United Nations Protocol and Liaison Service), list dated 15 October 2026. All world leaders.
Governance scores
The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators combine surveys of households and firms with assessments by public, private and non-governmental bodies. Each score runs from 0 to 100; higher means the sources rate governance better. They measure perceptions, and each has a margin of error.
- Voice and accountability
- Measures how far citizens can choose their government, and freedom of expression, association and the media.
- Political stability and absence of violence
- Measures the likelihood of political instability or politically motivated violence, including terrorism.
- Government effectiveness
- Measures the quality of public services and the civil service, and how independent they are from political pressure.
- Regulatory quality
- Measures the government's ability to make and carry out policies that let the private sector develop.
- Rule of law
- Measures confidence in and respect for the rules of society, including contract enforcement, property rights, the police and the courts.
- Control of corruption
- Measures how far public power is used for private gain, including petty and grand corruption and "capture" of the state by elites.
How does North Korea score on voice and accountability?
Voice and accountability: 18.7 out of 100 in 2025, 191st highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 65.7). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 19.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does North Korea score on political stability?
Political stability and absence of violence: 67.1 out of 100 in 2025, 100th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 81.7). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 47.2.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does North Korea score on government effectiveness?
Government effectiveness: 25.2 out of 100 in 2025, 178th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 54.5). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 21.8.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does North Korea score on regulatory quality?
Regulatory quality: 21.3 out of 100 in 2025, 192nd highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 53.6). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 18.6.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does North Korea score on the rule of law?
Rule of law: 34.1 out of 100 in 2025, 178th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 65.5). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 30.5.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow does North Korea score on control of corruption?
Control of corruption: 16.7 out of 100 in 2025, 187th highest of 193 UN member states with a score (regional median 54). Ten years earlier, in 2015, it was 22.4.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many women are in North Korea's parliament?
Women held 17.6% of seats in the national parliament (single or lower chamber) in 2025, 135th highest of 184 countries with data. Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union, via the World Bank.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow many of North Korea's ministers are women?
Women held 0.0% of ministerial posts in 2020, 180th highest of 188.
Source: World Bank · saved copyHow big are the armed forces of North Korea?
Armed forces personnel numbered 1,469,000 in 2020.
Source: World Bank · saved copyGovernment below the national level
- Provinces (9) and cities under central authority (including Pyongyang and Rason): Provincial people's assembly elected by voters; it elects the people's committee and its chair. Party committee secretary leads in practice.
- Cities, counties and city districts: Local people's assembly elected; people's committee elected by the assembly
- Dong (urban neighbourhoods) and ri (villages): Offices staffed by officials
- Inminban (people's units): Head (inminbanjang), usually a woman, chosen locally under the supervision of the dong office and police
How local power works in North Korea
Places in North Korea
Sources
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Voice and accountability (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 70f2804fd1e2…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Political stability and absence of violence (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1317de0c85e1…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Government effectiveness (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a775e808dc65…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Regulatory quality (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 83b57e36ff8c…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Rule of law (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 0bccc3c054e8…)
- World Bank: Worldwide Governance Indicators: Control of corruption (governance score 0-100), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3b15a5340cdd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Seats held by women in national parliament (SG.GEN.PARL.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1ae1dc13981a…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Women in ministerial positions (SG.GEN.MNST.ZS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a4e448a5b8bd…)
- World Bank: World Development Indicators: Armed forces personnel (MS.MIL.TOTL.P1), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fa4663c743ba…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.