Economics

Blind Legacy: Jang Sung-taek and North Korea’s Invisible Cross-Border Bridge

By | December 09, 2013

The bridge between Dandong and Sinuiju is pregnant with economic potential, nearly complete, and in a very real sense associated with newly unmasked “counter-revolutionary” Jang Sung-taek. Revisiting a recent essay for The Daily NK, Chief Editor Adam Cathcart investigates.

Jang Sung-taek: Chopped Off at the Knees

By | December 05, 2013

The purge of Jang Sung-taek has provided the world with a fresh layer of Korean peninsula intrigue, and yet more questions about the nature of Kimist dominance in the era of Jong-un. As the Twittersphere flutters, Nick Miller weighs in. Additional content from Christopher Green.

Armilliara and Sunshine: From Kim Jong-il’s Fungal Diplomacy to the Mushroom Institute of Pyongyang

By | November 22, 2013

Robert Winstanley-Chesters follows the trail of North Korean charismatic politics deep into the developmental realm, from fungus’ place under the Sunshine policy to the recently rebuilt Central Mushroom Institute.

Peacemaker or Political Hostage? Prospects for the Moscow-Busan “Iron Silk Road Express”

By | November 11, 2013

The promise of profit and increased political stability in Northeast Asia are attractive to Moscow and Seoul, but do the potential benefits of the “Iron Silk Road Express” outweigh the risks that come with investing in North Korea? Sabine van Ameijden evaluates.