With very few reliable data available, assessing the size and nature of North Korea’s economy is a guessing game. According to a recent study by the Korea Development Institute, a South Korean think tank, nearly 93 per cent of North Korean households have no access to electricity and they rely on firewood or coal. The $25 billion North Korean economy is largely reliant on mining, metallurgy, textiles and fisheries for the bulk of its revenue. China and South Korea are the largest trading partners, together accounting for more than 90 per cent of the total trade. Although North Korea remains a centrally planned economy, Kim Jong-un has tacitly introduced market reforms in the country.
Unfair treatment
Women are expected to participate fully in the labour force in North Korea, especially because of labour shortage. However, there is no equality between men and women workers. Women workers are mostly engaged in low-paying light industries. And, in offices, they are mostly engaged in secretarial jobs. The North Korean society remains highly patriarchal. Women, for instance, are expected to handle all household work. They are discouraged from visiting other houses on January 1 as they are considered to be an ill omen. If the first customer of the day is a woman, it is considered to be bad luck for a shop.
Stale tale
As with everything else, entertainment, too, is state controlled in North Korea. There are four television channels, all owned by the state. Even the most popular one, Korean Central Television, has little variety in programmes. Movies and shows are repeated regularly. All programmes are mandated to reflect state values like loyalty to the leader and the party. Movies also follow this pattern. According to available estimates, around five films are made annually in the country. The army has a film production unit, which focuses on making war films. It also provides soldiers as extras. Because of the restrictive and repetitive nature of the fare on offer, most North Koreans opt to watch soaps and movies from South Korea, despite the threat of harsh penalties.
