April 20, 2024
Columns

The stop and go success of a North Korean entrepreneur

Even relatively successful people struggle to provide enough for their families in the DPRK

Let me introduce a North Korean businessman — Mr. Yi, an owner of several small fishing boats.

Born in a large port city on the east coast in the mid-1960s, Yi graduated from high school and did his obligatory eight years of military service, joining the Workers’ Party of Korea while in uniform. Once back home, the state assigned him to work at a construction company.

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