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.

And in mid-December a much trumpeted Beijing tour by the Moranbong band – Kim Jong Un’s favorite girl group – was cancelled just a few hours before