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More articles by 'Peter Ward'
From QR codes to the blockchain: Inside North Korea’s digital payment plans
DPRK has pushed to go digital in recent years, a move that could give state greater control over citizens’ finances
December 5, 2023
What North Korea can learn from China’s successful agricultural reforms
DPRK is unlikely to embrace privatization, but China’s experience with co-ops of smaller farmers could serve as a guide
October 27, 2023
A centerpiece of Kim Jong Un’s reforms survives push to reassert state control
Analysis suggests North Korea has not yet abandoned earlier reforms, even as it has reigned in order contract system
October 17, 2023
A North Korean ministry returns from dead, and what it means for farming reform
DPRK revealed new policies that could incentivize farmers to boost crop output, while also reinforcing state control
October 3, 2023
North Korea demands end to regional inequality, but offers mostly futile fixes
While new law shows state concerned about rural poverty, solutions rely on redistribution of resources that don’t exist
September 12, 2023
How North Korea seeks to fix its stark problem of child malnutrition
Infant Care Act mandates food production for kids and building daycares, but in process creates new burdens for people
August 28, 2023
A brewing storm: How North Korea has failed to prepare for extreme weather
Climate change is amplifying floods and droughts, but regime is unwilling or unable to invest in robust infrastructure
August 23, 2023
A history of violence: North Korea seeks to curb assault with toothless new law
Creation of anti-battery law points to widespread violence, but light penalties betray authorities’ lenient attitude
August 4, 2023
Why North Korea has reined in firms’ freedom to set their own prices
DPRK laws shine light on efforts to reassert control in key economic sectors, a move that could stifle innovation
July 12, 2023
A war on words: Kim Jong Un’s Orwellian crackdown on talking like South Koreans
A new North Korean law polices intonation, jargon and more in futile effort to curtail ‘the puppet way of speaking’
June 28, 2023
