The deadliest words in economics are “This time things are different.” They are even more perilous when applied to a nuclear power run by a paranoid, repressive regime. In other words,North Korea. We have every reason to roll our eyes and scoff at Kim Jong Un’s first foray into diplomacy. …
March 5, 2012
North Korea’s Kim Game for ‘Let’s Make a Deal’, by William Pesek
March 1, 2012
North Korea Agrees to Suspend Its Nuclear Program
WASHINGTON — North Korea announced on Wednesday that it would suspend its nuclear weapons tests and uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors to monitor activities at its main nuclear complex. The surprise announcement raised the possibility of ending a diplomatic impasse that has allowed the country’s nuclear program to continue for years without international oversight. The …
January 13, 2012
North Korea after Kim Jong Il: The Risks of Improvisation, by By Ruediger Frank
Kim Jong Il’s death was announced less than three weeks ago. But the world is …
December 15, 2011
Japan and North Korean Refugees in China by Stephan Haggard
How foreign embassies and consulates in China deal with North Korean refugees has been the subject of more than one international diplomatic incident. Recent news coverage in both Japan and Korea suggests that Japan may have formally capitulated on the issue, signing a pledge not to harbor North Korean defectors. Embassy incidents began in 2001, [...]
December 6, 2011
The food situation in North Korea by Marcus Noland
On 25 November, the FAO/WFP released a special report on the food situation in North Korea that concluded that despite an improvement in the fall harvest relative to the previous year, the North continues to face an “uncovered deficit” and that the population faces another year of “prolonged food deprivation.” In other words, the new [...]
November 17, 2011
Interview on Economic Training 2.0 in North Korea (Part 1)
I was interviewed by a Korean journal focused on inter-Korean issues. I provided my opinion on how economic policy should evolve in North Korea, and what organizations like Choson Exchange must focus on to facilitate that transition. The interview was translated into Korean. I have included parts of the English transcript below: What are your current [...]
November 15, 2011
Event: HRNK Event Featuring Dr. Oh Kil-nam: “Trapped in North Korea’s Gulag,” Wednesday, Nov. 16, 3-4:30 PM
We pass along information abut the following event as a courtesy to our friends at The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. TRAPPED IN NORTH KOREA’S GULAG THE STORY OF OH KIL-NAM AND HIS FAMILY The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK), the International Coalition to Stop Crimes against Humanity in North [...]
November 11, 2011
North Korea says new reactor to start soon
SEOUL — North Korea will soon start operating a new home-built nuclear reactor, its official news agency said Thursday in a commentary one year after Pyongyang publicly disclosed the plant. “The day is near at hand when a light-water reactor entirely based on domestic resources and technology will come into operation in the DPRK (North [...]
November 7, 2011
S. Korean Unification Minister to Consider Seoul’s Resumption of Humanitarian to North
South Korea’s Unification Minister Yu Woo-ik expressed a willingness to consider resuming humanitarian assistance to North Korea via the UN during his meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday. Speaking to Minister Yu at his official residence in New York, Ban brought up the need for humanitarian assistance in North Korea where malnutrition among [...]
October 29, 2011
North Korea bans citizens working in Libya from returning home
North Korea has banned its own citizens working in Libya from returning home, apparently out of fear that they will reveal the extent – and final outcomes – of the revolutions that have shaken the Arab world. Pyongyang had a close working relationship with the regime of Moammar Gaddafi before the popular uprising that unseated [...]