The Status and Evaluation of Economic Reforms of the Four-Year-Old Kim Jong Un Regime: Geopolitical Strategies and the Performance of Opening Policies

Abstract

With Kim Jong Un in power for the past four years, North Korea has extensively carried out reform in the business and agriculture sectors through such measures as the 12.1, 3.16, and 5.30 discourses following the 6.28 policies in 2012, and expanded the opening of the country to the outside world by designating a total of 26 special economic zones and economic development zones. More reform has been going on which is intensified compared to 7.1 measures in 2002. The corporate decentralization policies such as the socialism corporate responsibility management system have promoted decentralization along with the measures for establishing provincial-level economic development zones. Considering the background of North Korea’s confidence over security are successful nuclear tests and satellite launches, and reflection of the political changes in Northeast Asian region, including China’s rise and Russia’s Far East Asian policy, this paper predicts there will be further expanded reforms in North Korea in the future.