North Korean newspaper the Rodong Sinmun has admitted that the DPRK’s work on creating Special Economic Zones has not been successful as was initially hopes, in a report published on October 23.

In an usually frank admission at the Pyongyang International Conference on Special Economic Trade Zone Development, the Workers’ Party newspaper conceded that “normal” development of the SEZ did not take place for 16 years after its establishment.

Interestingly, the report also admitted that the DPRK had studied other country’s models for development and special economic zones and will continue to do so.

According to the report, the conference – held “at a