Via Bloomberg, a report on Kim’s strange currency surge: In normal economies, currencies weaken in times of difficulty, but something counter-intuitive is happening in North Korea: the won is surging just as things are getting worse. Kim Jong Un’s country has been hit by the toughest sanctions in its history, massive flood damage and an unprecedented pandemic that cut […]
Read more »Via North Korean Economy Watch, a report on how North Korea is more connected to global markets than often thought: After a hiatus during the summer following my PhD defense, I now plan to get back to posting regular analyses and news content here. First up, an interesting example of why the North Korean economy is […]
Read more »Courtesy of The Economist, a report on North Korea’s efforts to crack down on its small market economy: The North Korean dictator’s love of high-end products from evil capitalist countries is well documented. The import of luxury goods into North Korea has been banned by un sanctions since 2006. Yet Kim Jong Un parades around Pyongyang in […]
Read more »Via Asia Times, a report on how – if Chinese border traders reflect market reality – the won is up 33% against the yuan and 18% to the buck in three short weeks: Something weird recently happened to what had been one of the world’s least coveted currencies. If you were North Korean and wanted […]
Read more »Courtesy of The Wall Street Journal, an article on Kim Jong Un’s be on a riverfront property to boost North Korea’s economy: In North Korea’s capital, the prime riverfront property went untouched for decades. It was once a site for an American missionary school. Then it briefly became a residence for the country’s founder, Kim Il […]
Read more »Via The Diplomat, an interesting interview on the subject of North Korea’s oil procurement network: Briefly explain North Korea’s fuel-procurement strategy. North Korea is completely dependent on foreign sources of fuel for its economy, military, and weapons program. The U.N. Security Council first imposed caps on North Korea’s fuel imports in 2017, but it has […]
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