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June 17, 2025Jun 17, 2025

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Peter Ward

Peter Ward

Peter Ward is a research fellow at the Sejong Institute. His work focuses on North Korean politics, the economy and society. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Vienna.

Analysis

North Korea is giving more power to farmers, but not without helping the elite

Major agricultural reforms aim to inspire farmers to produce more food, but not without age-old command and control

Peter WardPeter WardAugust 19, 2020
Analysis

Who’s writing the rules of the North Korean economy?

A newly-obtained document detailing 2014 economic reforms reveals the government’s role in economic regulation

Peter WardPeter WardAugust 17, 2020
Analysis

Why the COVID-19 crisis could actually benefit the North Korean economy

The benefits of growing U.S.-China tensions may outweigh the damage caused by the pandemic

Peter WardPeter WardJuly 17, 2020
Analysis

North Korea is facing alarming bond issues, but there’s still hope

North Korea's bond issue risks economic ruin, but there's a good chance the blow will be lessened by compromise

Peter WardPeter WardJune 23, 2020
Analysis

Is North Korea privatizing its housing supply? In Rason, partially, yes

2018 regulations, now publicly-available, provide insight as to how similar rules could work in non-SEZ areas

Peter WardPeter WardMay 26, 2020
Analysis

North Korea’s changing economy: the view from the markets

Amid a wider crackdown on private activity, it appears there is ongoing discussion on the role of markets in the country

Peter WardPeter WardMay 13, 2020
Analysis

Why North Korea’s economy could see a return to rapid inflation soon

News of plans for a government bond issuance suggests major price instability could be on the horizon

Peter WardPeter WardMay 1, 2020
Analysis

North Korea’s changing economy: the view from the foreign trade sector

Reform, retrenchment, or continuity? Open source data offers some insights

Peter WardPeter WardApril 17, 2020
Analysis

What we can learn from North Korea’s opaque 2019 official economic figures

Aside from a few cherry-picked figures, the lack of numbers suggest the DPRK economy is still struggling to grow

Peter WardPeter WardApril 15, 2020
Analysis

Change and consistency in North Korean markets: domestic vs global food prices

Food prices appear to be declining when compared to global benchmarks, which is good news for the average North Korean

Peter WardPeter WardApril 9, 2020
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