Is economic struggle driving North Korea to negotiating table? - BBC News - 0 views
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Is economic struggle driving North Korea to negotiating table?
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1) Sanctions are beginning to biteExports of goods such as textiles, coal and seafood are the biggest contributors to North Korea's GDP. It's difficult to gauge just how much of an impact sanctions have had on the country's economy, simply because growth rates for the 2017 year have yet to be estimated. But exports may have declined by "as much as 30% last year", according to Byung-Yeon Kim, author of the book "Unveiling the North Korean Economy". In particular, exports to China -
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2) The economy is increasingly a priorityYou just have to read the text of Kim Jong Un's new year speech to see where his focus lies. The word "economy" is peppered through the speech, getting almost as much play as "nuclear". Image copyright Reuters Image caption Mr Kim offered the talks in his new year address Because North Korea can't make foreign currency through exports or foreign labour anymore, another potential source of hard currency is tourism.
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