March 28, 2024
Analysis

Why N. Korea won’t be worried by its recent reputational disasters

Debacles of recent Orascom investment and Morangbong visit to China will have little impact

The end of 2015 was marked by two events which, at the first glance, would be likely to damage the international standing of North Korea.

In late November the Egyptian building and telecom company Orascom finally admitted what had been known in narrow circles for two years: that its North Korean state partners had taken over the joint Koryolink cellphone network, and that Orascom had been unable to reap any profit from its seemingly successful investment in North Korea.

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