| Special city | |
| Category: | Unitary state |
| Territory: | Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
| Current Number: | 4 Special Cities |
| Population Range: | 205,000 (Rason) – 3,255,388 (Pyongyang) |
| Area Range: | (Rason) – (Pyongyang) |
| Government: | Single-Party Government |
| Subdivision: | District, County |
Special cities are one of the first-level administrative divisions within North Korea. There are four special cities in North Korea.
Special cities are the higher-ranked administrative divisions in North Korea. There are three kinds of special cities in North Korea.
| Type | Chosŏn'gŭl | Hancha | McCune–Reischauer | City names | Number of cities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct-administered city | Korean: {{linktext|직할시 | Korean: {{linktext|直轄市 | Chikhalsi | Pyongyang | 1 | |
| Special city | Korean: {{linktext|특별시 | Korean: {{linktext|特別市 | T'ŭkpyŏlsi | Rason, Nampo, Kaesong | 3 | |
| Special-level city | Korean: {{linktext|특급시 | Korean: {{linktext|特級市 | T'ŭkkŭpsi | None | 0 |
The first level cities have equal status to the provinces.
| Name | Chosŏn'gŭl | Hancha | Type | ISO | Population | Area (km2) | Density (/km2) | Capital | Region | Province related | Year of assignment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pyongyang | Korean: {{linktext|평양|직할시 | Korean: {{linktext|平壤|直轄市 | Directly administered city | KP-01 | 3,255,388 | 3,194 | 1,019 | Chung-guyok | Kwanso | South Pyongan | 1946 | |
| Rason | Korean: {{linktext|라선|특별시 | Korean: {{linktext|羅先|特別市 | Special city | KP-13 | 205,000 | 746 | 275 | Rajin-guyok | Kwanbuk | North Hamgyong | 2010 | |
| Nampo | Korean: {{linktext|남포|특별시 | Korean: {{linktext|南浦|特別市 | Special city | KP-?? | 366,815 | 829 | 442 | Waudo-guyok | Kwanso | South Pyongan | 2011 | |
| Kaesong | Korean: {{linktext|개성|특별시 | Korean: {{linktext|開城|特別市 | Special-level city | none | 308,440 | 1,309 | 235 | Haeso | North Hwanghae | 2019 |
Note: Pyongyang is classified as a capital city (chikhalsi), not a special city as Seoul in South Korea. In fact, the North Korean national newspaper and broadcasting say "Pyongyang Chikhalsi". Some sources, most of them coming from South Korea, refer the city as a special city; however, these are old sources. Moreover, South Korea has corrected the city as a directly governed city, according to a South Korean newspaper in 1994. The official name of Pyongyang would be "Pyongyang-si" in the Republic of Korea, which officially claims to represent the entire peninsula.
| Division name | Chosŏn'gŭl | Hancha | Province absorbed into | Administered Years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chongjin | Korean: {{linktext|청진시 | Korean: {{linktext|淸津市 | North Hamgyong | 1960–1967, 1977–1985 | |
| Hamhung | Korean: {{linktext|함흥시 | Korean: {{linktext|咸興市 | South Hamgyong | 1960–1967 |