North Korea’s announcement of its economic reform plan

There has been a lot of activity in the border area between North Korea and China in early December that experts attribute to changes in China’s Northeast Development Strategy and North Korea’s economic reform. Furthermore, they suggest there have been signals that there will be an economic reform in North Korea that will be launched in earnest starting next year.

One expert in China who has had exchanges with high ranking North Korean officials for the past several years told a Hankyoreh reporter recently, “I have heard that North Korea will announce its plans for economic reform through the 2010 New Year’s Joint Editorial.” He added, “I have also heard that North Korea’s leadership has decided to move up the schedule for economic reform after Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao’s visit last October.”

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