China’s economy has slowed down considerably in the past year, primarily due to COVID-related restrictions and their impact on consumers and industry. But the slow-motion bursting of China’s real estate bubble and its consequences for gross domestic product will likely have a significant impact in the years to come on the region and the world — including North Korea. 

NK Pro analysis indicates that the slowdown afflicting the Chinese economy and the structural changes the country is likely to undergo in the coming years will have a range of consequences for the DPRK: