Business
Information related to the North Korea business sector
How foreigners laid the groundwork for North Korea’s market revolution
Early DPRK entrepreneurs leveraged connections in Japan and China, undercutting regime’s narratives of self-sufficiency
North Korea reveals first electric car showroom on new skyscraper street
Kim Jong Un ordered mass production of vehicles years ago, but new EVs are likely to be rebranded Chinese imports
North Korea’s display of new Chinese trucks points to production issues at home
Handover of imported vehicles comes 5 years after mass-production order and hints at strong sanctions-busting networks
Seoul weighs lawsuit against North Korea for using assets at Kaesong complex
Unification ministry says it could sue DPRK over ‘illicit’ operation of inter-Korean industrial zone suspended in 2016
How North Korea’s decrepit tax system encourages illicit market activity
Poor collection mechanisms cannot fund state largesse, incentivizing even the military to seek cash from elsewhere
South Korea warns North Korea not to use assets from Kaesong Industrial Complex
The wheels on the bus should not go ‘round, unification ministry says, after Hyundai buses spotted in state media
Chinese shipyard firms linked to ‘several’ transfers of vessels to North Korea
UN Panel of Experts implicate Rongcheng Yuantong and Rongcheng Longyan in likely sanctions-busting scheme
Kim Jong Un approves lavish new dog meat restaurant on Pyongyang riverfront
Satellite imagery shows construction started late last year, as North Korean leader says canine dining ‘improves diets’
How North Korean state firms bend the rules to rake in cash from market activity
Newly revealed DPRK law details crackdown on use of special privileges to dodge taxes, embezzle funds and more
Blurred lines: Inside North Korea’s messy business ecosystem
Both state power and market forces shape the DPRK economy in ways that are only now coming into focus