A market in the countryside of North Hwanghae province | Image: Eric Lafforgue
In recent years, the role of markets in North Korea’s economy has been in flux, as the state rolls back tepid economic reforms and seeks to reassert control over the food distribution system.
Yet while it’s possible that crackdowns will result in markets becoming somewhat less prominent, historical precedent strongly suggests that they are not going to disappear.
Back in late 1984, when I was an exchange student in Pyongyang, I came across a Japanese media report about how North Korean authorities would finally allow markets to open in the capital. The article explained
Yet while it’s possible that crackdowns will result in markets becoming somewhat less prominent, historical precedent strongly suggests that they are not going to disappear.
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.