North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and senior Chinese Communist Party official Liu Yunshan at the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.
The country frequently makes headlines, with recent notable examples such as its support of Donald Trump and its claims about planning to travel to the moon.
But some of its actions aren't quite so benign, including the recent firing of ballistic missiles into the sea.
The rest of the world has become increasingly responsive to the country's more threatening actions. In July, the US agreed to equip South Korea with its most advanced missile defense system. A month later, Japan ordered its military to be ready at any time to shoot down North Korean missiles.
No one seems to know what North Korea will do next or what's actually going on inside the country, as data isn't readily available or reliable. But there are some strange statistics and fun facts that lend perspective to the Hermit Kingdom.