The Democratic People's Republic of Korea passport, commonly referred to as the North Korean passport, is the

passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal ...

which may be issued to

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

n citizens for international travel. Since the majority of North Koreans do not get opportunities to leave the country, DPRK passports are rarely issued.

History

The earliest passports of the

Korean Peninsula Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

were issued in 1902 by the

Korean Empire The Korean Empire () was a Korean monarchical state proclaimed in October 1897 by Emperor Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. The empire stood until Japan's annexation of Korea in August 1910. During the Korean Empire, Emperor Gojong oversaw the Gwa ...

, with two types, a trading passport and a travel passport. The passports have Chinese text as well as English and French translations. North Korean passports were first issued in the 1950s with passport in Korean, Russian and Chinese, while the current passport has Korean and English only. Korean passport, 1905

Physical appearance

DPRK passport covers are navy blue with the National Emblem of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea emblazoned in the center. The words "" (

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

) and "DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA" (English) are inscribed above the emblem, with "" and "PASSPORT" below. (''ryŏgwon''), means "passport", whilst in the

South Korean passport The Republic of Korea passport ( ko, 대한민국 여권, Daehan Minguk yeogwon), commonly referred to as the South Korean passport, is issued to a South Korean citizen to facilitate their international travel. Like any other passport, South Ko ...

, it is branded (''yŏgwon''), which also means passport. Both words are Sino-Korean words written as in

Hanja Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom. (, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...

, but due to the initial sound rule present only in South Korea, they are spelled differently.

Passport types

* An ordinary passport is a single passport which, after being granted special permission, is handed out to North Koreans who visit foreign countries for official reasons, i.e., sports and academic competitions, business trips. Ordinary passports are taken back by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after returning to North Korea. Cover is navy blue. * An official passport is issued for trade and other economic bureaucrats travelling abroad. Cover is green. * A

diplomatic passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal ...

is issued to high officials from the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...

, the

Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea The Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea ( ko, 조선로동당 중앙위원회) is the highest party body between national meetings of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the ruling party of North Korea. According to WPK rules, the ...

, and other subordinate offices of the

Workers' Party of Korea The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) is the founding and sole ruling party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea. Founded in 1949 from the merger of the Workers' Party of North Korea and the Workers' Party of ...

. For other bureaucrats, only vice ministers or higher can receive a diplomatic passport. Cover is red. Official and diplomatic passports must be returned and kept in the passport office, from where it can be retrieved for any further foreign travel. Ordinary passports are never issued without special permission and all holders must apply for an

exit visa A visa (from the Latin ''charta visa'', meaning "paper that has been seen") is a conditional authorization granted by a polity to a foreigner that allows them to enter, remain within, or leave its territory. Visas typically include limits on t ...

in order to legally leave the country.

Identity pages

A DPRK Passport includes two identity pages. The first identifies the holder, and includes the following information: *1. Passport number *2. Name in full (in Latin and Korean scripts) *3. Date of birth (YY-MM-DD) *4. Place of birth *5. Nationality (specified as "Korean") *6. Length of the passport validity (five years) *7. Expiry date (YY-MM-DD) *8. Issue date (YY-MM-DD) The second page is for official endorsements.

Note of passport

The passport contains the following note: Korean: English: Visa requirements for North Korean citizens

Inter-Korea travel

Gallery

File:DPRK Passport (1950s).jpg, 1950s DPRK passport File:DPRK passport 1950s version inner page.jpg, 1950s DPRK passport, inner page File:Personal Informatin Page of DPRK Passport (1950s Version).jpg, 1950s DPRK passport, personal information page File:DPRK Passport (1990s).png, 1990s-edition passport covers File:PassDPRK.jpg, Passport 2019

References

External links

Picture of personal detail in DPRK passport and ROK travel certificate and Japan registration cardDPRK official passportDPRK Ordinary Passport and ROK Ordinary PassportDPRK Passport (Machine-Readable type)New North Korean Passport since 2000
{{Portal bar, North Korea

Korea, Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...

Foreign relations of North Korea