How North Korea has clawed back control over the economy by hiking state wages



Columns How North Korea has clawed back control over the economy by hiking state wages Public sector salaries have skyrocketed in recent years as Pyongyang looks to revive state economy and suppress markets Andrei Lankov May 13, 2025 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Workers at a North Korean company \| Image: KCTV After decades of symbolic salaries and quiet defections to the private sector, North Korea is attempting its most ambitious economic reset in years. Since late 2023, the government has rolled out sweeping wage increases — as much as 50-fold for some public sector workers — in a bid to revive the moribund state economy and reassert control over a population that long ago learned to survive outside it. After decades of symbolic salaries and quiet defections to the private sector, North Korea is attempting its most ambitious economic reset in years. Since late 2023, the government has rolled out sweeping wage increases — as much as 50-fold for some public sector workers — in a bid to revive the moribund state economy and reassert control over a population that long ago learned to survive outside it. Try unlimited access Only $1 for four weeks Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

Columns

How North Korea has clawed back control over the economy by hiking state wages

Public sector salaries have skyrocketed in recent years as Pyongyang looks to revive state economy and suppress markets

Andrei Lankov May 13, 2025

How North Korea has clawed back control over the economy by hiking state wages

Workers at a North Korean company | Image: KCTV

After decades of symbolic salaries and quiet defections to the private sector, North Korea is attempting its most ambitious economic reset in years.

Since late 2023, the government has rolled out sweeping wage increases — as much as 50-fold for some public sector workers — in a bid to revive the moribund state economy and reassert control over a population that long ago learned to survive outside it.

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How North Korea has clawed back control over the economy by hiking state wages

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