May 08, 2024
News

North Korean markets not yet a space for political opposition: Report

Author predicts gradual, slow development of shadow economy effects; state control still strong

North Korea’s shadow economy and unofficial markets are not yet spaces for collective political resistance or anti-regime practices, an academic report published in May claims.

The report, North Korea's Shadow Economy: A force for Authoritarian Resilience of Corrosion?, is based on 35 semi-structured interviews of North Korean defectors in 2011 and 2012.

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