The following article is a column by Andrei Lankov, a professor at Kookmin University and a director at Korea Risk Group, which oversees NK News and NK Pro. Views expressed in opinion articles and columns are exclusively the author’s own and do not represent those of NK News.

Judging by his calls on thousands of low-level part eliteto wage a “more difficult Arduous March” on Thursday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seems to know where the country’s shabby economy is headed. However, he doesn’t seem to understand that repeating the worst mistakes of the past won’t help him