KP
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
North Korea
Summary
- Official Name
- Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
- Population
- 25,660,000
- Principal Languages
- Korean
- Literacy Rate
- 100% (2008 UNESCO)
- International Conventions
- CSICH (2012), ICCPR (1966), UNCRPD (2006), UNDRIP (2007)
- General References
- Campbell and King 2011, Comrie 1987
- Language Counts
- The number of established languages listed for North Korea is 2. All are living languages and are indigenous. Furthermore, 1 is institutional and 1 is developing. Also listed is 1 unestablished language.
Languages
- Chinese zho
- Scattered throughout country. Users: 51,000 in North Korea. Status: Unestablished.
- Korean kor
- Widespread. Users: 25,400,000 in North Korea (2019). Status: 1 (National). De facto national language. Classification: Koreanic
- Korean Sign Language kvk
- Scattered. Users: 128,000 in North Korea (2021 DBS/DOOR/SIL). Estimated 75,000–150,000 deaf signers, assuming 0.3%–0.6% of total population. Status: 5 (Dispersed). Classification: Sign language, Deaf community sign language
Languages by Status
Korean
[kor] 1 (National). De facto national language. 25,400,000 in North Korea (2019).
Korean Sign Language
[kvk] 5 (Dispersed). 128,000 in North Korea (2021 DBS/DOOR/SIL). Estimated 75,000–150,000 deaf signers, assuming 0.3%–0.6% of total population.
Chinese
[zho] Unestablished. 51,000 in North Korea.
Maps
Graphs
Language Vitality Profile

Full explanation
Language Status Profile

Full explanation