North Korea's unexpected economic boom, fueled by arms sales to Russia
North Korea is enjoying an unexpected economic boom thanks to arms sales to Russia. North Koreans in 2026 no longer go hungry, but they still have no freedoms.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
North Korea is growing at Asian tiger pace (thanks to Russia)
The most surprising economic growth record in the world has a kimchi face and a dictatorship's name. North Korea is experiencing a boom few analysts predicted, and the reason is hardly a miracle: the war in Ukraine and Russian artillery purchases have filled Pyongyang's coffers.
The business of war: arms for growth
Available data suggest that North Korea's GDP has soared thanks to the massive sale of missiles and shells to Russia. Kim Jong-un's regime knows this stream of hard currency will not last forever — the golden goose could run dry — and, like some Arab countries, part of the revenue is being reinvested in infrastructure. The result: a North Korean in 2026 who bears little resemblance to the one from the 1990s, even though prosperity remains relative.
Miracle or mirage?
The macro figures don't lie: growing from absolute misery is easier than growing from wealth. But the debate over whether this growth is real or a smokescreen to justify tyranny remains open. What is clear is that the widespread malnutrition that ravaged the country in the 1990s has eased, though food abundance is still nowhere in sight. Freedoms remain the same: none.
The unsettling fact: while GDP soars, the regime keeps funding its nuclear program and internal repression. North Korea's economic success, like so many things on the Korean peninsula, is a prism with very different faces.
The most surprising economic growth record in the world has a kimchi face and a dictatorship's name. North Korea is experiencing a boom few analysts predicted, and the reason is hardly a miracle: the war in Ukraine and Russian artillery purchases have filled Pyongyang's coffers.
The business of war: arms for growth
Available data suggest that North Korea's GDP has soared thanks to the massive sale of missiles and shells to Russia. Kim Jong-un's regime knows this stream of hard currency will not last forever — the golden goose could run dry — and, like some Arab countries, part of the revenue is being reinvested in infrastructure. The result: a North Korean in 2026 who bears little resemblance to the one from the 1990s, even though prosperity remains relative.
Miracle or mirage?
The macro figures don't lie: growing from absolute misery is easier than growing from wealth. But the debate over whether this growth is real or a smokescreen to justify tyranny remains open. What is clear is that the widespread malnutrition that ravaged the country in the 1990s has eased, though food abundance is still nowhere in sight. Freedoms remain the same: none.
The unsettling fact: while GDP soars, the regime keeps funding its nuclear program and internal repression. North Korea's economic success, like so many things on the Korean peninsula, is a prism with very different faces.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (10 replies).
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