This book seeks to understand how the economic construction of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) evolved, shaped by the formulation and execution of various economic management systems spanning the years 1949 to 2023, in response to numerous challenges faced by the country. Split into four chapters, Park charts the developmental phases of the DPRK economy under Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, and current leader Kim Jung Un. He carefully cross-examines sources from within the DPRK, including the Complete Works of Kim Il Sung, Selected Works of Kim Jong Il, the Rodong Shinmun, and the Chosun Central Yearbook. Where related literature relies on testimonies and interviews of defectors, this book offers a novel and comprehensive analysis of sources taken from North Korea, furnishing readers with new insights into the DPRK’s economic management and construction policies. With its novel approach, this book will be of interest to researchers and advanced undergraduates of Korean history, Korean studies, and economic history.

"This book seeks to understand how the economic construction of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) evolved, shaped by the formulation and execution of various economic management systems spanning the years 1949 to 2023, in response to numerous challenges faced by the country. Split into four chapters, Park charts the developmental phases of the DPRK economy under Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, and current leader Kim Jung Un. He carefully cross-examines sources from within the DPRK, including the Complete Works of King Il Sung, Selected Works of Kim Jong Il, the Rodong Shinmun and the Chosun Central Yearbook. Where related literature relies on testimonies and interviews of defectors, this book offers a novel and comprehensive analysis of sources taken from North Korea, furnishing readers with new insights into the DPRK's economic management and construction policies. With its novel approach, this book will be of interest to researchers and advanced undergraduates of Korean history, Korean studies, and economic history"--

Even as its rise as a nuclear power unfolds on the nightly news, North Korea remains arguably the most mysterious country in the world. A virtual blackout of statistical information coming from the reclusive regime has shrouded the day-to-day lives of its inhabitants in secrecy. This groundbreaking study--which relies on rare U.N.-assisted household data and carefully scrutinized propaganda materials--offers the first comprehensive examination of the social and economic history of North Korea from its founding in 1948 to the present day. Included are a chronicle of the political formation of the two Koreas, an exploration of the social aspects of life in North Korea, a discussion of the country's economic structure and development, and cutting-edge anthropometric analysis that reveals how life in seclusion has affected the physical development of North Koreans. A concluding socioeconomic forecast predicts what lies ahead for the "hermit kingdom." Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

A comprehensive, systematic analysis of the North Korean economy, exposing its hidden workings through quantitative data analysis and surveys.

The history of North Korea's fiscal segmentation can be categorized largely into four periods headed by different entities. First, between 1953 and 1972, Kim Il-sung created special budget to maintain political power. Second, from 1972 to 1984, Kim Jong-il gave birth to suryong economy to consolidate hereditary power succession. Third, from 1985 to 1994, party-state agencies began foreign currency earning activites. Finally, from 1995 to the present, in addition to the suryong economyand major party-state bodies, the foreign currency earning activities of party-state bodies for off-budget revenue have been gereralized and become the backbone of North Korean party-state bodies' budget system. This paper addresses the process of fiscal segmentation from the second period onwards. 1.Fiscal Segmentation in North Korea 2.1972－1984: Advent of Suryong Economy and the Expansion of the Market A. The Rise of Suryong Economy B. Economic Hardship and the Expansion of the Market C.The Monopoly of Foreign Currency Earnings by the Party Center D. The Decay of the Planned-Economy 3.1985－1995: Surge in Foreign Currency Earning Activities of Major Party-state Agencies A. Expansion of Foreign Currency Earning Agencies B. The Generalization of Foreign Currency Earning Activities of the Party-State Agencies in the Early 1990s 4.Post 1995: ‘Songun (Military First)’ Policy and the Expansion of the Market A. The Generalization of Public Agencies’ Foreign Currency Earning B. Kim Jong-il’s Style of Economic Management C. Agents of the Private Economy Strengthened 5. Summary and Conclusion

For over five decades, North Korea has outlived many forecasts of collapse despite defects in its system. Origins of North Korea's Juche: Colonialism, War, and Development, edited by Jae-Jung Suh, argues that it has survived because of Juche, a unique political institution built on the simple notion of self-determination, whose meanings and limits have been shaped by Koreans' experiences with colonialism, war, and development amidst surrounding superpowers that have complicated their aspirations and plans. The authors in this volume collectively provide an historical institutionalist account of North Korean politics organized around the concept of Juche--commonly translated as self-reliance, but best understood as subjecthood or being a master of one's own fate--focusing on its role as a response to North Korea's experiences with colonialism, the Korean War, and economic development. The contributors further discuss how Juche circumscribes the evolutionary path that North Koreans can take as they negotiate contemporary challenges. North Korea, as it is now, is best understood in terms of Juche which embodies the cumulative effect of its historical experiences and responses, and its future potential and trajectory, as enabled and constrained by its conception of Juche. This collection provides fascinating insights into the politics and history of one of the world's most mysterious nations.

There is much intense interest in North Korea at present. This partly arises from questions about Korea's nuclear capability and intentions, and about the extent to which North Korea may be viewed as 'a rogue state' or part of 'the axis of evil'. In addition, however, North Korea has recently begun experimenting with reforms along Chinese lines. The vigour with which these will be pursued, and related questions about the degree of engagement, or otherwise, with South Korea are also important issues. This book provides full details of economic and political developments in North Korea since 1989 when the communist world began to change irrevocably.

CHAPTER 1: Conventional Planned Economy 1. Framework of a Planned Economy 2. Taean Work System & Unified and Detailed Planning 3. System for Distribution of Food Rations and Other Necessities CHAPTER 2: Planned Economy after the Economic Crisis 1. Contraction and Weakening of the Planned Economy 2. Generalization of Direct Control by the Supreme Leader 3. Collapse of the Ration Distribution System CHAPTER 3: Development of North Korea’s Market ization 1. Conceptual Framework 2. Economic Crisis of the 1990s and the Arduous March 3. After the July 1 Economic Management Improvement Measures 4. Since the Latter Half of the 2000s: Between Restriction and Tolerance of Markets CHAPTER 4: Development, Status, and Structure of North Korea’s Marketization 1. Foreign Dependency of Marketization 2. Rise of Monopolies and Oligopolies & Wealth Disparity due to Collusion Between Government and Businesses 3. Prolonged Marketization and Its Establishment 4. Evaluation of Marketization CHAPTER 5: Characteristics of North Korea’s Dual Economic Structure 1. Dual Economic Structure with Ambiguous Boundaries 2. Coexistence of the Planned and Market Economies 3. Supplementary and Conflicting Relations Between the Planned and Market Economies 4. The North Korean Government’s Dilemma CHAPTER 6: Future of North Korea’s Dual Economic Structure 1. Elements that Spread and Restrain Marketization in North Korea 2. Future Prospects for Marketization in North Korea

In the mid-1990s, as many as one million North Koreans died in one of the worst famines of the twentieth century. Stephan Haggard and Marcus Noland present the most comprehensive and penetrating account of the famine to date, examining not only the origins and aftermath of the crisis but also the regime's response to outside aid and the effect of its current policies on the country's economic future. North Korea's famine exemplified the depredations that can arise from tyrannical rule and the dilemmas such regimes pose for the humanitarian community. To reveal the state's culpability is a vital project of historical recovery, especially in light of our current engagement with the "North Korean question."

Mention North Korea to people today and they will conjure up many unflattering images, particularly in the wake of George W. Bush denouncing the state as part of an "axis of evil". Despite this cold war type rhetoric, the state of North Korea has begun to recognise the difficult challenges that it faces and is now trying to get to grips with them systematically. This book brings together a selection of many of the world experts on the North Korean economy and covers such important issues as: *possible unification with South Korea *the significance of China's economic success *Europe and the United States' roles in North Korea North Korea in the World Economy provides an accessible, well-written and comprehensive account of this unique country and its economy. It will be extremely interesting not only for students and academics with an interest in Korean studies, international finance and transition economies but also for anyone with an interest in international economics.