Since the death of Kim Jong Il in 2011, his handpicked successor, Kim Jong Un has put in place a number of policies that indicate a willingness to change his country, and, dare I say it, reform it.

Okay, yes, what do I mean by reform? Well, let’s take a look at what is happening in the North Korean countryside, specifically the newly instituted ‘Farmland Responsibility System’ (literally: Vegetable Garden Responsibility System; 포전책임담당제/포전담당제).

Why look at the countryside? In much of the developed world, agriculture makes up a small and ever-diminishing part of economic output, and most people now live