Sino-NK

On April 9, 2013, the North Korean government unilaterally withdrew all of its 53,000 workers from the Kaesong Industrial Complex, a de facto declaration of closure that lasted until September 16 the same year. The South Korean government took a similar step today, February 10, 2016. Announcing the move, the Ministry of Unification declared that it was “halting production” at the complex in response to North Korea’s fourth nuclear test on January 6 and rocket launch on February 7.

Back in 2013, as today, there were very few timely and accurate sources that could tell analysts what was happening on the ground on the North Korean side of the dispute. Only Daily NK managed to get any news out from behind the wall of silence, yet again becoming the vital source of inside information on North Korean society. In a special Jangmadang to mark today’s closure, Sino-NK looks back at eight of the best Daily NK stories about the last one, sources that nobody could afford to ignore at the time, and will not want to forget as the latest closure moves forward.