North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia, in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang is both the nation's capital as well as its largest city. For decades now, North Korea has been one of the world's most secretive countries. North Korea is a totalitarian state. Its history was shaped by Kim Il-sung, who was the country's supreme leader from its formation in 1948 until his death in 1994. It is now led by the supreme leader Kim Jong-un. His father, Kim Jong-il, was the supreme leader before him. North Korea have isolated themselves from the rest of the world, but they have made headlines for their nuclear ambitions and their poor human rights records.