# Provinces of North Korea

Provinces 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.

## History

Although the details of local administration have changed dramatically over time, the basic outline of the current three-tiered system was implemented under the reign of Gojong in 1895. A similar system also remains in use in South Korea.
Provinces (Korean: 도; Hancha: 道) are the highest-ranked administrative divisions in North Korea. Provinces have equal status to the special cities.

## List of provinces

The populations listed for each province are from the 2008 North Korea Census. From this census, an additional 702,372 people are living in military camps.
| Name | Chosŏn'gŭl | Hancha | ISO | Population | Area (km$^2$) | Density (/km$^2$) | Capital | Region |
| Chagang | 자강도 | 慈江道 | KP-04 | 1,299,830 | 16,765 | 77.5 | Kanggye | Kwanso |
| North Hamgyong | 함경북도 | 咸鏡北道 | KP-09 | 2,327,362 | 15,980 | 145.6 | Chongjin | Kwanbuk |
| South Hamgyong | 함경남도 | 咸鏡南道 | KP-08 | 3,066,013 | 18,534 | 165.4 | Hamhung | Kwannam |
| North Hwanghae | 황해북도 | 黃海北道 | KP-06 | 2,113,672 | 8,153.7 | 259.2 | Sariwon | Haeso |
| South Hwanghae | 황해남도 | 黃海南道 | KP-05 | 2,310,485 | 8,450.3 | 273.4 | Haeju | Haeso |
| Kangwon | 강원도 | 江原道 | KP-07 | 1,477,582 | 11,091 | 133.2 | Wonsan | Kwandong |
| North Pyongan | 평안북도 | 平安北道 | KP-03 | 2,728,662 | 12,680.3 | 215.2 | Sinuiju | Kwanso |
| South Pyongan | 평안남도 | 平安南道 | KP-02 | 4,051,696 | 11,890.6 | 340.7 | Pyongsong | Kwanso |
| Ryanggang | 량강도 | 兩江道 | KP-10 | 719,269 | 13,880 | 51.8 | Hyesan | Kwannam |

## Claimed provinces

North Korea claims seven provinces on the territory controlled by South Korea. While people's committees for these claimed provinces were elected in 1950 during the Korean War, no government-in-exile for them exists as of 2025, unlike the South Korean counterpart. These provinces are based on the divisions of the Japanese era, but correspond somewhat to the present South Korean provinces and the special cities partitioned out of them, owing to the alterations in the provincial division affected by South Korea being more conservative relatively to those affected by the north.
| Historical province | Name | Chosŏn'gŭl | Hancha | Capital | Equivalent South Korean provinces |
| Ch'ungch'ŏng | North Ch'ungch'ŏng | 충청북도 | 忠淸北道 | Ch'ŏngju | North Chungcheong Province |
| Ch'ungch'ŏng | North Ch'ungch'ŏng | 충청북도 | 忠淸北道 | Ch'ŏngju | Sejong Special Self-Governing City (part) |
| Ch'ungch'ŏng | South Ch'ungch'ŏng | 충청남도 | 忠淸南道 | Taejŏn | South Chungcheong Province |
| Ch'ungch'ŏng | South Ch'ungch'ŏng | 충청남도 | 忠淸南道 | Taejŏn | Daejeon Metropolitan City |
| Ch'ungch'ŏng | South Ch'ungch'ŏng | 충청남도 | 忠淸南道 | Taejŏn | Sejong Special Self-Governing City (part) |
| Kyŏnggi | Kyŏnggi | 경기도 | 京畿道 | Sŏul | Gyeonggi Province (except parts of Pocheon and Yeoncheon County) |
| Kyŏnggi | Kyŏnggi | 경기도 | 京畿道 | Sŏul | Seoul Special City |
| Kyŏnggi | Kyŏnggi | 경기도 | 京畿道 | Sŏul | Incheon Metropolitan City |
| Kyŏngsang | North Kyŏngsang | 경상북도 | 慶尙北道 | Taegu | North Gyeongsang (except Uljin County) |
| Kyŏngsang | North Kyŏngsang | 경상북도 | 慶尙北道 | Taegu | Daegu Metropolitan City |
| Kyŏngsang | South Kyŏngsang | 경상남도 | 慶尙南道 | Pusan | South Gyeongsang Province |
| Kyŏngsang | South Kyŏngsang | 경상남도 | 慶尙南道 | Pusan | Busan Metropolitan City |
| Kyŏngsang | South Kyŏngsang | 경상남도 | 慶尙南道 | Pusan | Ulsan Metropolitan City |
| Chŏlla | North Chŏlla | 전라북도 | 全羅北道 | Chŏnju | North Jeolla Province |
| Chŏlla | South Chŏlla | 전라남도 | 全羅南道 | Kwangju | South Jeolla Province |
| Chŏlla | South Chŏlla | 전라남도 | 全羅南道 | Kwangju | Jeju Special Self-Governing Province |
| Chŏlla | South Chŏlla | 전라남도 | 全羅南道 | Kwangju | Gwangju Metropolitan City |