Much media coverage has been devoted to the China-North Korea border, with varying views on how vibrant the economic and cultural activity is there.

Lee Chang-ju, a Ph.D candidate at Fudan University in Shanghai, is a preeminent expert on the region, visiting the area at least twice a year and posting updates on his blog.

Currently working on his dissertation, Lee recently returned from a journey to Vladivostok, Hunchun, Tumen, Yanji and Dandong, and shared the freshest information available with NK News, as well as his perspective on the region’s prospects.

Lee compared the importance of Rajin, in