Markets and the State in North Korea

Book Introduction

The market represents the emergence of new forces and new powers, which did not exist in the traditional North Korean socialist economy. The marketization, which began in a desperate situation of survival, and the confrontation of the North Korean government with traditional power are the most important topics in predicting changes in the North Korean economy and society.

Based on several quantitative and qualitative surveys of North Korean defectors, the book analyzes market and government relations in North Korea, discusses the process of market change, the North Korean government’s anti-market policies, and their implications for the future of the North.

About the Authors

Kim Byung Yeon
Professor of Economics at Seoul National University

Yang Moon Soo
Professor at the University of North Korean Studies.
Member of the Policy Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Unification and the KBS Unification Broadcasting Research Advisory Committee

Publication Date: 2012