As new sanctions bite, they'll hurt North Korea's few entrepreneurs

As new sanctions bite, they’ll hurt North Korea’s few entrepreneurs

Resolution 2375 represents a major blow to the DPRK's private sector

Andrei Lankov November 22, 2017

Image: CPC_2337 by nknews_hq on 2016-10-06 18:07:11

One of the oft-repeated statements North Korea watchers have grown accustomed to hearing is that “sanctions will soon start to bite."

These words have been heard countless times since the first – rather toothless – round of UN measures in 2006, and so far they have been consistently proven wrong: the period when North Korea has faced the strongest UN sanctions has also been the time when its economy has grown faster than at any point in the last 40 years.

About the Author

Andrei Lankov

Andrei Lankov is a Director at NK News and writes exclusively for the site as one of the world's leading authorities on North Korea. A graduate of Leningrad State University, he attended Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung University from 1984-5 - an experience you can read about here. In addition to his writing, he is also a Professor at Kookmin University.

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