The series of Prof. Choi Sung's articles introducing North Korea's overall IT technologies, which had been continued for the past 12 years, was interrupted for 19 months from May 2016. From January 2018, Korea IT Times will resume his articles every month on North Korea's technologies in the science, industries and information, broadcasting & communication sectors. -ED.
State Academy of Sciences DPR Korea(North Korea) is North Korea's cabinet central administrative institution and pivotal institution covering science policy. It was organized under North Korea's official state ideology on science, called "Juche." On Dec. 1, 1952, the 41st year of Juche, it was established for the purpose of promoting science technology.
In 1962, the State Science Technology Committee, an administrative agency exclusively in charge of science technology, was established. State Academy of Sciences DPR Korea included science technology in the strong and prosperous national strategy in the latter half of the 1990s and designated 1999 as the year of science, making a strong push for science technology-focused politics and expansion of investment in science technology continuously. As part of such efforts, it established the five-year science technology development plan in 1998 and has propelled the five-year plan for new science technology development since 2003.
State Academy of Sciences DPR Korea consists of 11 branch institutes, including science-related branch institutes by sector and regional branch institutes such as Eunjeong Branch Institute and Hamhung Branch Institute. It is North Korea's biggest research group with some 200 research centers and about 30,000 researchers.
State Academy of Sciences DPR Korea, the highest hall of North Korea's science, guides science research projects of affiliated science research institutions in the capital and provinces. It is a science research guidance institution dealing with technological problems occurred in science development and economic projects.
Periodicals issued by State Academy of Sciences DPR Korea include the academy's notification, mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, mechanical engineering, metal, mining, electronics, automation engineering, geological features, geography and analysis.
It grants such honorable titles as the "people scientist" and the "meritorious scientist" or such school position as associate professor and professor, or doctorate to scientists and technicians who made remarkable achievements in science research and education projects.
It presents the "2.16 science technology award," the best science technology prize of North Korea, to a meritorious and excellent science technology group.
State Academy of Sciences DPR Korea has carried out science technology festival for several occasions, including the foundation day, every year.
It has also organized and carried out science technology presentation, forum, exhibition and performance in every sector regularly.
On Feb. 17, the Day of Science Technicians, the state academy actively announces activities of scientists and technician storm troops, greatly contributing to solving many problems raised in various sectors of the people's economy.
To bolster exchanges and cooperation in science technology with foreign countries, it has kept cooperative ties with science institutes, science technology ministries, governments, non-governmental organizations and international bodies of many foreign countries.
In the State Academy of Sciences DPR Korea, there is a base to foster science technology talents, called the "Ligwa (natural science) University" consisting of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, electronics, computer and control faculties, a reeducation school and research centers. In the Eunjeong region, it also operates the Science Technology Literature Information Center, one of the biggest libraries in North Korea.
The Northeast Asian Community Information Communication Technology Forum, R&D Center President/Professor
sstar@nsu.ac.kr
Sung Choi
