North Korea’s near-total pandemic border controls have had a dramatic impact on the country’s economy, resulting in a sharp drop in its trade with the outside world and increased shortages.

But while the trade situation has begun to improve and expectations for reopening have grown, the DPRK still appears to struggle with another program that could limit its ability to recover and overcome its recurring economic crisis: a relative lack of advanced economic knowledge and skill.

Foreign books and research appear to play little role in economic education in North Korea, and in