Introduction

North Korea is a country known all around the world for being one of the most secretive and poorest in modern times. An entire country ruled over by one man and a select few of his choosing is a dictatorship that no one would have thought possible in the 21^st century, but what makes this different? Why do world leaders pay so much attention to the country? Why is it the way it is? What happens inside?

The Korean War

It is the 25^th of June 1950, and North Korea, supported by the Soviet Union, has begun its invasion of South Korea, supported by the United States. By mid-1950, the Korean People’s Army (KPA) had around 223,000 men and quickly pushed back the South Korean army along with American troops who were stationed there. The United Nations encouraged its members to help South Korea. Leading countries like Great Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India, and South Africa to send troops to the region. (Imperial War Museum, 2024)

General MacArthur ordered an amphibious landing at Inchon. The landing was a success, and the force could drive the KPA to the Yalu River, the border between China and North Korea. As a result of this, China entered the war and pushed the United Nations forces back down south, leading to two years of trench warfare until an armistice was agreed on July 27, 1953. (Imperial War Museum, 2024)

By the end of the war, some 5 million soldiers and civilians had lost their lives. (History, 2009)

North Korea post-war

For an extended period, North Korea was the economic powerhouse of the Korean Peninsula, with the South continuing to lag behind the Soviet- and Chinese-funded North. In the 1950s and ’60s, Kim II Sung visited many steel mills and factories around the nation, encouraging workers to step up their efforts in production, which became a large factor in the country’s economic recovery as the great leader’s orders carried weight for them. Up until 1976, North Korea’s per capita gross national product was higher than that of the South, showcasing the success of the economic reforms that were undertaken.

This was all well and good, but, unfortunately for the people in the country, it all came to an end with high-ranking defector Hwang Jang-yop stating there are three major reasons why this occurred.

1. Heavy investment in the military at the expense of the private sector.
2. The collapse of the Soviet Union created difficulty in acquiring raw materials.
3. Wasting money on erecting monuments and statues of Kim II and Kim Jong II.

Once the economy started to decline at a rate of 41 percent since 1990, the country was hit with a major famine that is estimated to have killed roughly 10 percent of the population (2 to 3 million), with other estimates stating this figure is closer to the 1 million mark, either way, a massive blow to the country’s economic output. (Daniel Goodkind, 2004; (Stephan Haggard, 2007)

In the 21^st century,

Economy

Unlike its southern neighbour, South Korea, whose economy (gross domestic product) is the 13^th largest in the world compared to 135th-placed North Korea based on United Nations estimates for 2021,.

Economic forecasts for North Korea are hard, as is determining the health of the country due to its secretive nature. Only very few statistics about the country can be found, one of which is exports. The average value of exports to China, which makes up 97% of the total exports, is around $27 million per month, which would put estimates for the year ending 2023 at $267 million and total exports nearing $300 million (Stangarone, 2023), (Park, 2023). These figures were achieved with heavy United Nations sanctions placed on the country in 2016 due to the country’s ballistic missile tests. China is not the only country assisting the North Korean economy; Russia exported 67,300 barrels of refined petroleum to North Korea in December 2022. (Park, 2023)

Missile tests

North Korea has been in the news countless times throughout the years, and now, from 2011 to the present, the country has conducted more than 220 tests on a variety of different rockets (Center For Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, 2024). The numerous tests have been direct threats towards South Korea, Japan, and the United States, with North Korea claiming some of their ballistic missiles could reach the west coast of continental America.

Satellites

North Korea has said it plans to launch three spy satellites by the end of 2024 after a successful launch in November 2023. The North Korean government has claimed the satellite has photographed several sensitive military sites in the United States and South Korea (The Guardian , 2024). Not only are these satellites being used for intelligence gathering, but they are also enhancing the accuracy of their intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Ukraine-Russia War

During the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, many people wondered how Russia’s allies would respond to the conflict. North Korea, for one, has responded by shipping around 6,700 containers to aid Russia’s war efforts since July 2023. These containers are filled with millions of munitions. Shin Won-sik, a former South Korean army lieutenant and South Korea’s Defence Minister, said that there could be more than three million 152 mm artillery shells or 500,000 122 mm rounds (Shin, 2024). Shin Won-sik also claims that hundreds of North Korean munition factories are working at 30 percent capacity as a result of a lack of raw materials. In return for this, Russia is providing the country with food, raw materials, and parts for weapon manufacturing. (Al Jazeera , 2024)

Conclusion

The regime’s plans and agendas have remained the same for decades, and it is highly unlikely we will see a breakthrough development that will alter its trajectory. I can see the country continuing to develop its nuclear programme, both in weapon manufacturing and energy production. Trade with its two closest allies will increase as the country’s leader tries to build better ties with its neighbours and will increasingly consider South Korea and the United States as the country’s biggest threats.

References

Al Jazeera , 2024. North Korea sent Russia millions of munitions in exchange for food: Seoul. [Online]
Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/28/n-korea-sent-russia-millions-of-munitions-in-exchange-for-food-says-seoul#:~:text=here%20to%20search-,North%20Korea%20sent%20Russia%20millions%20of%20munitions%20in%20exchange%20for,million%20artillery%20shells%20s
[Accessed 27 March 2024].

Center For Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, 2024. Fact Sheet: North Korea Missile Test Activity. [Online]
Available at: https://armscontrolcenter.org/fact-sheet-north-korea-missile-test-activity/#:~:text=Kim%20Jong%20Un%20(2011-Present,of%20missiles%20with%20increasing%20ranges.
[Accessed 27 March 2024].

Daniel Goodkind, L. W., 2004. The North Korean Famine and Its Demographic Impact. Population and Development Review, 27(2), pp. 219-238.

History, 2009. Korean War. [Online]
Available at: https://www.history.com/topics/asian-history/korean-war
[Accessed 25 March 2024].

Imperial War Museum, 2024. A short history of the Korean War. [Online]
Available at: https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/a-short-history-of-the-korean-war
[Accessed 25 March 2024].

Park, J.-m., 2023. North Korean special economic zone poised for revival in new Russia trade. [Online]
Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korean-special-economic-zone-poised-revival-new-russia-trade-2023-11-29/
[Accessed 27 March 2024].

Shin, H., 2024. North Korea has sent 6,700 containers of munitions to Russia, South Korea says. [Online]
Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/north-korea-has-sent-6700-containers-munitions-russia-south-korea-says-2024-02-27/
[Accessed 27 March 2024].

Stangarone, T., 2023. North Korean Exports Hit Record High Since UN Sanctions Took Full Effect. [Online]
Available at: https://thediplomat.com/2023/12/north-korean-exports-hit-record-high-since-un-sanctions-took-full-effect/
[Accessed 27 March 2024].

Stephan Haggard, M. N., 2007. Famine in North Korea: Markets, Aid, and Reform. 1st ed. New York: Columbia University Press.

The Guardian , 2024. First Noth Korean spy satellite is ‘alive’ and being controlled, experts say. [Online]
Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/29/north-korea-spy-satellite-malligyong-1-alive-running-in-use
[Accessed 27 March 2024].