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.

But Yi would not restrict himself to such work. He soon started his own trading business and later pivoted to boats, navigating state regulations in order to operate and enjoying considerable success even during