Economic Transformation Under Kim Jong Il

Kim Jong Il noted the importance of both economic reforms and North Korea’s connecting with the outside world. However, domestic political constraints did not allow him to proceed with bold reforms constantly. The geopolitical environment at the time was also not helpful for Kim Jong Il to move the reforms forward. His unsuccessful reforms resulted in economic chaos. Kim Jong Il’s main reform measures, the barriers to the reforms, and the consequences to the economy due to his unsuccessful reforms are evaluated in this chapter.

This piece is a chapter of the book “The Political Economy of North Korea: Domestic, Regional, and Global Dynamics“, which you can find here in the Lynne Rienner Publishers webshop.