Economics

Hubs for Radical Change? North Korea’s SEZs under Kim Jong-un

By | January 11, 2013

How can we measure if the North Korean economy is undergoing reform? Watch the country’s six Special Economic Zones, via Sabine van Ameijden’s overview of SEZ change and stagnation.

Charisma vs. the Power Grid: Calculating Priorities and Hallucinations in Kim Jong-un’s Speech

By | January 03, 2013

Facing dysfunction in the nation’s power grid, Roger Cavazos (Nautilus Institute) and Adam Cathcart explore the gap between Kim Jong-un’s charismatic message and the low wattage of reality.

Seven Fingers: China’s New Leadership and North Korea Policy

By | December 29, 2012

China’s policy toward North Korea is set for further evolution. Will the DPRK benefit from having old friends in the Politburo in Beijing? Read the extended version of SinoNK’s PacNet and South China Morning Post essays here.

Considering a Reset of China’s ‘Special Relationship’ with North Korea: Huffington Post Live

By | December 19, 2012

What is the broader outlook for China’s relationship with North Korea in the aftermath of the DPRK’s missile test? SinoNK joins a conversation with the Huffington Post.

Ri Sol-ju, Conspicuous Wealth, and the “Military Wife” Type in the DPRK

By | December 12, 2012

SinoNK’s analyst for gender issues, Darcie Draudt, takes a look at Ri Sol-ju as part of a class of women who are doing increasingly well, thanks to their connections. Is such upward mobility to be emulated or despised?