Last night, North Korea unexpectedly decided to test a nuclear bomb without the common courtesy of telling anybody first. But it's just the latest in a long line of terrifying and crazy things that the country gets up to.


Led by a single family since 1948—first Kim Il-sung, then later Jong-Il and now Jong-un—North Korea has a rich history chequered with both comical and tragic stories. Here's a potted timeline of everything weird and frightful that's come out of the DPRK since its founding.

1950: After just two years of being a country, North Korea invades South Korea because why not? This, as you might have guessed, kicks off the Korean War.

After just two years of being a country, North Korea invades South Korea because why not? This, as you might have guessed, kicks off the Korean War. 1950s: Soviet Union decides to be helpful, giving North Korea the means to start its nuclear program.

Soviet Union decides to be helpful, giving North Korea the means to start its nuclear program. 1950s: North Korea constructs Kijong-dong, a fake city situated in the DMZ meant to lure South Korean defectors. It's still there




1965(ish) Jong-il claims in his biography to have written no fewer than 1,500 books in his three years at university.

Jong-il claims in his biography to have written no fewer than 1,500 books in his three years at university. 1976: Two US Army officers killed by North Korean soldiers in what is known as the Axe Murder Incident

Two US Army officers killed by North Korean soldiers in what is known as 1978: Kim Jong-Il, not yet ascended to leadership, kidnaps famed South Korean director Shin Sang-ok to help jumpstart North Korea's burgeoning propaganda film industry. He makes seven films before finally escaping in 1986.

Kim Jong-Il, not yet ascended to leadership, kidnaps famed South Korean director Shin Sang-ok to help jumpstart North Korea's burgeoning propaganda film industry. He makes seven films before finally escaping in 1986. 1985: North Korea signs up to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Totally normal at the time, a little insane in retrospect given...

North Korea signs up to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Totally normal at the time, a little insane in retrospect given... 1986: Yongbyon nuclear reactor put into operation. Powered by uranium, it was capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium.

Yongbyon nuclear reactor put into operation. Powered by uranium, it was capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium. 1991: North Korea somehow joins the UN.

North Korea somehow joins the UN. 1994: Kim Jong-il purportedly tries his hand at golf for the first time

1998: Taepodong-1, a two-stage intermediate-range ballistic missile, developed and tested. US claims North Korea is developing nuclear weapons at secret sites.

Taepodong-1, a two-stage intermediate-range ballistic missile, developed and tested. US claims North Korea is developing nuclear weapons at secret sites. 2003: North Korea withdraws from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (naturally).

North Korea withdraws from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (naturally). 2004: Jong-il claims the invention of the hamburger as his own

Jong-il 2005: North Korea publicly declares its has nuclear weapons.

North Korea publicly declares its has nuclear weapons. 2006: First(?) nuclear test in the North Korea. US officials suggest that it was probably a misfire. Whoops!

First(?) nuclear test in the North Korea. US officials suggest that it was probably a misfire. Whoops! 2007: A smoking ban is imposed on the entire city

A smoking ban is 2008: Kim Jong-il reportedly schemes

Kim Jong-il 2008: A 50-year-old female South Korean tourist is shot down by a North Korean soldier for stumbling into 'military territory' in... the Keumgang Mountain Tourist Region.

A 50-year-old female South Korean tourist is shot down by a North Korean soldier for stumbling into 'military territory' in... the Keumgang Mountain Tourist Region. 2009: North Korea launches a rocket called Unha in the general direction of Japan, in what appears to be an advanced preview of WWIII. Second nuclear test.



Image credit: Wiki Commons