Sinuiju special administrative region announced
From KCNA (Korean Central News Agency), September 20, 2002:
Basic law of Sinuiju special administrative region
Pyongyang, September 20 (KCNA) — The Sinuiju special administrative region has come into being according to a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People’s Assembly adopted the basic law of the Sinuiju special administrative region on September 12, Juche 91 (2002).The law consists of six chapters (politics, economy, culture, fundamental rights and duties of residents, structure and emblem and flag of the region) and a total of 101 articles.
According to the law, the region is a special administrative unit under the sovereignty of the DPRK and the state puts the region under the central authority.
The state endues the region with the legislative, executive and judicial power and shall keep the legal system of the region unchanged for 50 years.
The DPRK cabinet, state commissions, ministries and national institutions shall not interfere in the region’s affairs and external affairs concerning the region shall be handled by the state.
The region shall conduct external activities on its own responsibility within the limit approved by the state and can issue its own passports.
The land and natural resources of the region belong to the DPRK and the state allows the region to be turned into an international financial, trade, commercial, industrial, up-to-date science, amusement and tourist centre.
The state shall give the region the rights to develop, use and manage the land and encourage the businesses in the region to hire manpower of the DPRK.
The period of leasing the land of the region shall last until December 31, 2052.
The state shall encourage investments of investors in the region and provide investment environment and conditions for economic activities favorable for businesses.
The DPRK shall encourage the region to properly pursue cultural policies so as to increase its residents’ creativity and meet their demand for cultural and emotional life, introduce up-to-date science and technology and actively develop new domains of science and technology.
The residents shall not be discriminated irrespective of sex, country, nationality, race, language, property status, knowledge, political view and religious belief and foreigners without citizenship shall have the same rights and duties as the residents.
The procedures of moving and travelling to other areas of the DPRK and other countries shall be established by the region.
The legislative council is the legislature of the region and the legislative power shall be exercised by the legislative council.
DPRK citizens of the region can become deputies to the legislative council and foreigners with the right to reside in the region can also hold the same post.
The legislative council shall have chairman and vice-chairmen elected by itself.
The governor shall represent the special administrative region.
The governorship can be taken by a resident of the region who has working ability and enjoys high reputation among the inhabitants.
The governor shall promulgate the decisions of the legislative council and directions of the administration, issue orders and appoint and dismiss members of the administration and the chief of the prosecutor’s office of the region.
The administration is the region’s executive body and general administrative organ.
The chief of the administration is the governor and the posts of department chief of the administration and the chief of the police agency shall be held by residents of the region.
The prosecution affairs of the region shall be undertaken by the prosecutor’s office of the region and the district prosecutor’s offices.
The prosecutor’s office of the region shall be accountable to the governor.
Trial in the region shall be undertaken by the court of the region and district courts. The court of the region is the supreme court.
The region shall use not only the emblem and flag of the DPRK but also its own emblem and flag and the order of their use shall be established by the region.
The region shall apply no other laws but the DPRK laws concerning nationality, emblem, flag, anthem, capital, territorial waters, territorial air and national security.
My thoughts: One little thing I noticed was the different way that Americans view their rights within their constitution, and the way many other constituions and charters are written throughout the world. The American constitution is written from a liberal, natural [individual] rights perspective. This means that the language of the American constituion is more like “Congress shall not” rahter than, “The state shall,” because under the American system, the rights are presumed to belong to the people, not the government.
