Living in North Korea

North Korea is located in East Asia on the northern half of the Korean Peninsula, between the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan. Around 25.5 million people live there. Mountains and forested highlands characterize large parts of the country, while fertile plains lie in the west and south. The climate is continental: summers are often warm and humid, and winters cold and dry; weather and landscape differ markedly along the coast and in the mountains. In Pyongyang, many people live in larger apartment buildings and use buses, trams, or the subway. Outside the capital, life is more strongly shaped by agriculture, smaller towns, and longer distances. Most people work in industry, agriculture, and services; families, markets, and shared leisure activities are part of everyday life in many places.