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52 records from EconBiz based on author Name
1. North Korea's Foreign Trade
abstractForeign trade is, like elsewhere and for obvious reasons, one of the key indicators of North Korea’s economy. However, since the state is notoriously reluctant to provide related figures, we have to rely on external sources to obtain this data. The South Korean Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) is one institution that has for many years collected data on trade with North Korea from Pyongyang’s trading partners. Through this approach, called reverse statistics, KOTRA is able to produce one of the few macroeconomic datasets on North Korea that deserves at least a minimal degree of trust, even though there is still ample room for discussion regarding its completeness. At the end of September 2015, KOTRA published the latest of its reports on North Korea’s trade, including data for 2014
Frank, Ruediger;2016
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2. Korea and East Asia in a Changing Regional and Global Environment
abstractAfter the global financia ...
Kim, Heung Chong; Park, Sung-Hoon; Frank, Ruediger;2016
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3. A Socialist Market Economy in North Korea? Systemic Restrictions and a Quantitative Analysis
abstractThe paper deals with the question of economic reforms in North Korea. In the first, theoretical part, it is attempted to highlight the serious restrictions for a clear-cut decision between the old system of state-controlled procurement and distribution on one side and a market economy on the other, offering a hybrid solution to the occurring dilemma. In the second part, the price reforms of July 2002 are analyzed quantitatively as an empirical case study, including their impact on purchasing power, savings, fiscal policy, inflation and their distributive effects. This factual evidence is supplemented by a third part, in which the theoretical and ideological attempts of North Korea to bring the changes in line with its official ideology are explored. In the final analysis, the price reforms are put in the context of a broad North Korean reform initiative, resulting in important policy implications for the international community
Frank, Ruediger;2016
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4. EU - North Korean Relations : No Effort without Reason
abstractThe article reviews the achievements in economic and political relations between the EU and the DPRK so far, analyzes the interests of both sides, pinpoints controversial and inconsistent issues and provides an outlook on possible future developments and implications. The European engagement in (North)Korea is quantified by using a comparative perspective based on data on the North Korean activities of South Korea and international organizations, leading to an explanation for the pace and scope of Europe's involvement. In particular, aid and humanitarian assistance, trade and political exchange are analyzed. It becomes obvious - and this is the major finding of the paper - that there is a strong contrast between private European activities, which do not appear to be above average, and state-coordinated and state activities. The latter are remarkably substantial if compared to other countries and the overall European interest in (North)Korea. This contradiction can partially be explained by a dominance of internal over external concerns in current EU policy on one hand and the latter's role in a global tripartite partnership with the USA and Japan on the other
Frank, Ruediger;2016
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5. Can Economic Theory Demystify North Korea?
abstractThe starting point of this paper is the assumption that North Korea is de facto a well defined nation-state with a national economy and inhabited by individuals that bear the same basic economic and social characteristics as individuals elsewhere. Despite the obvious specifics of the economic system and the institutional structure of that country, standard economic theory should be applicable to the question of North Korean economic development. The article seeks to prove this as broadly as possible, showing that concepts as diverse as classical and neoclassical, Marxist, Keynesian, institutional, developmentalist, neo-liberal or structuralist perspectives, dependency analysis and many others including regionally centered approaches can be utilized to explain the North Korean case with acceptable results. To understand the development process in North Korea properly, we do not need any new, specific theory, model or framework. Without arguing against or in favor of one of the available theoretical methods, this article in-tends to provoke further research on North Korea as another case of development in East Asia, rather than a mystical exception to the rule
Frank, Rüdiger;2016
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6. The Political Economy of North Korean Arts
abstractThis introductory essay written for the general reader begins accordingly with a brief attempt at clarifying how the official North Korea sees itself. Against this background, we will point out some of the ways the individual contributions in this volume are tied to each other by multiple connections. These essays look at artworks in various mediums or styles, from oil (yuhwa2) to brush (chosŏnhwa) paintings, mosaics, book illustrations, musical instruments, postal stamps and even literature, and raise issues ranging from the origins, models, dating and originality of these art works to the difficulties that arise in exhibiting these works in the West and with discussing their meaning. We hope these essays will open new vistas, answer old questions and inspire new ones
Frank, Ruediger;2016
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7. Between Nuclear Armament and Economic Pragmatism : Is North Korea Facing Change?
abstractThe balance a year and a half after the meanwhile second hereditary power transfer to Kim Jong-Un (Kim Chŏng-ŭn), grandson of the founder of the state, is undecided. The breakdown of the system, predicted by many analysts, has not happened yet. Neither have the reforms that were expected from the young man who has supposedly been educated in Switzerland. The country is not in stagnation however – quite the opposite. What has happened in North Korea in the last two years? What development trends are there and how can other countries approach them? These questions are discussed in the light of the tense security-political and humanitarian environment and the corresponding risks in this Asia Policy Brief
Frank, Ruediger;2016
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8. The 7th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea in 2016 : Return to a New Normal or Risk a Take-Off?
abstractThe North Korean media have on October 30th, 2015, announced that the 7th Congress of the Worker's Party will be convened in May 2016. Given the fact that the last one took place in 1980, and that so far no further details were provided, this short article attempts a rigorous speculation about the reasons for holding the Congress now, and its potential Content. In short, there are two Options: return to a regular, structured rule by or through the Party, or the anouncement of a Major Change. The latter could even include a Reform following the examples of China (1982) or Vietnam (1986)
Frank, Ruediger;2016
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9. The Costs of Korean Unification : Realistic Lessons from the German Case
abstractGerman unification is often used as a preview on what is going to happen in Korea. Such a position is rejected in this article. Not only have the costs of German unification been grossly overestimated or misinterpreted, the costs in the Korean case will in many areas be lower than in Germany, and the benefits of unification will be much bigger, which further decreases the net costs. South Korea will, however, experience problems of a structural nature that have not occurred in Germany. The potential role of external partners for shouldering the costs of unification should also not be underestimated in the Korean case, although it will come at a political price. Finally, a highly speculative but not completely unrealistic scenario of unification is briefly presented that would incur almost no unification costs at all
Frank, Ruediger;2016
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10. The 2016 North Korean Budget Report : 12 Observations
abstractOn March 30, 2016, the 9th plenary meeting of the 13th Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) of the DPRK convened at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang. Such meetings are routine events taking place annually in the spring. A senior official, usually the Prime Minister or the Minister of Finance, reports on the state budget for the past and current years and announces the cornerstones of economic policy. Thus, while neither the plenum itself this year nor its timing was extraordinary, there were a few noteworthy features that justify taking a closer look at the typically sparse news about this event disseminated by the North's state media
Frank, Ruediger;2016
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