Kim Jong Un is once again relying on science and technology to solve his economic problems. But history has shown that, despite numerous attempts by communist leaders, misguided scientific development will do more harm than good.

At the Eighth Party Congress in January, Kim Jong Un stated that “promoting the sci-tech development of the country” remains one of Pyongyang’s key objectives. He did not, however, specify exactly what his breakthrough technological development would be.

Kim’s remarks were a reminder of the North Korean regime’s Leninist origins. Such regimes have had an almost fetish-like belief in the power of science and