April 20, 2024
Opinion

Could North Korea really join the International Monetary Fund?

The benefits are clear, but meeting the requirements would be too risky for Pyongyang

Tuesday saw the South Korean President Moon Jae-in say that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had expressed an interest in potentially joining the International Monetary Fund.

If they do, this would be great news for the North Korean people, the economy, and yes, the regime, giving them access to hitherto imaginable development loans. But can they join the IMF? And is it in their immediate interests to do so?

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