Democratic People's Republic of Korea 조선민주주의인민공화국 Capital: Pyongyang Anthem: "Aegukka" Government: Unitary Jucheist One-Party Socialist Republic Under a Totalitarian Hereditary Dictatorship Currency: North Korean Won (₩) Language: Korean In 1945, after the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II, Korea was divided into two zones along the 38th parallel, with the north occupied by the Soviet Union and the south occupied by the United States. Negotiations on reunification failed, and in 1948, separate governments were formed: the socialist DPRK in the north, and the capitalist Republic of Korea in the south.