North Korea’s Ninth Party Congress outlined an ambitious economic agenda for the next five years. Since the Congress concluded, Pyongyang has released additional details that offer important insights into the direction of Kim Jong Un’s economic strategy. However, the harder question is what the decisions mean in practice.
How much continuity is there between North Korea’s earlier economic improvement efforts and the policies now emerging after the Ninth Party Congress? Are recent developments consistent with greater centralization, or do they point to a more nuanced approach to economic management? And what do recent economic indicators suggest about the country’s economic health and the prospects for Kim’s flagship initiatives such as the 20×10 Regional Development Policy?
The Stimson Center & 38 North will be hosting this discussion exploring the implementation of North Korea’s new economic agenda, the future of Kim Jong Un’s economic reforms, and what the latest data reveal about where the North Korean economy may be headed.