How a North Korean businessman’s high-rise dreams came crashing down



Columns How a North Korean businessman’s high-rise dreams came crashing down A defector’s memoir illuminates how private entrepreneurs, relying on bribery, drove a construction boom in Pyongyang Andrei Lankov February 25, 2022 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON NK News (Oct. 1, 2016) \| North Koreans at the construction site for a new building in Pyongyang Pyongyang’s skyline is hardly the most memorable or impressive in comparison to those of the world’s major cities, yet a minor construction boom has rendered large parts of the North Korean capital almost beyond recognition from just a couple decades before, with massive high-rises replacing mud huts. DPRK propaganda has presented this transformation as another triumph of the leader and party and as evidence of the socialist economy’s power. But in fact, partnerships between the state and emerging independent businesses is what made possible the capital’s construction boom from 2005 to 2017. While on paper state-owned enterprises and government agencies completed the work, in practice private entrepreneurs known as "donju," or “masters of money,” were the driving force. Pyongyang’s skyline is hardly the most memorable or impressive in comparison to those of the world’s major cities, yet a minor construction boom has rendered large parts of the North Korean capital almost beyond recognition from just a couple decades before, with massive high-rises replacing mud huts. DPRK propaganda has presented this transformation as another triumph of the leader and party and as evidence of the socialist economy’s power. But in fact, partnerships between the state and emerging independent businesses is what made possible the capital’s construction boom from 2005 to 2017. While on paper state-owned enterprises and government agencies completed the work, in practice private entrepreneurs known as "donju," or “masters of money,” were the driving force. Become a member for less than $5.75 per week. Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

Columns

How a North Korean businessman’s high-rise dreams came crashing down

A defector’s memoir illuminates how private entrepreneurs, relying on bribery, drove a construction boom in Pyongyang

Andrei Lankov February 25, 2022

How a North Korean businessman’s high-rise dreams came crashing down

NK News (Oct. 1, 2016) | North Koreans at the construction site for a new building in Pyongyang

Pyongyang’s skyline is hardly the most memorable or impressive in comparison to those of the world’s major cities, yet a minor construction boom has rendered large parts of the North Korean capital almost beyond recognition from just a couple decades before, with massive high-rises replacing mud huts.

DPRK propaganda has presented this transformation as another triumph of the leader and party and as evidence of the socialist economy’s power. But in fact, partnerships between the state and emerging independent businesses is what made possible the capital’s construction boom from 2005 to 2017. While on paper state-owned enterprises and government agencies completed the work, in practice private entrepreneurs known as "donju," or “masters of money,” were the driving force.