North Korea’s economy grew almost 4% in 2024, its fastest pace in eight years, thanks in part to stronger economic cooperation with Russia, South Korea’s central bank said Friday. 

According to a report by the Bank of Korea (BOK), North Korea’s real gross domestic product (GDP) reached $26.6 billion (36.97 trillion won) last year, up 3.7% from the year prior.

North Korea’s economy grew for a second consecutive year following a 3.1% expansion in 2023, with last year’s growth marking the highest in eight years since 2016.

For the second year in a row, the country’s growth rate also exceeded