Monday, November 2, 2009

In North Korea, the military now issues economic orders

The leader of North Korea, Kim Jong II is increasingly dedicating a slice of Chinese mineral revenue to fund his nuclear program which the Obama administration does not approve of. Lim Eul-chul of the Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul said, "The military is by far the largest, most capable and most efficient organization in North Korea, and Kim Jong Il is making maximum use of it." This is reflected in the military's involvement in all aspects of North Korean life, even taking the people's harvest to feed the army. North Korea has 1.19 million troops on active duty and many of them are invested in the mines in North Korea. Mineral exports to China have soared, rising from $15 million in 2003 to $291 million last year. North Korea's nuclear power puts them in a position of power on the international stage, and now they are involved in the economy too.

By Carla Lutz
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