Is North Korea in debt?
Compared to other CPEs, North Korea's debt to exports ratio (including the ruble denominated debt) is quite high (770.6 percent). However, the debt service to exports ratio is low (6.9 percent) since North Korea has essentially stopped paying its debt and no longer has access to long-term capital markets.
Besides Russia, major creditors included Hungary, the Czech Republic and Iran. Largely because of these debt problems and because of a prolonged drought and mismanagement, North Korea's industrial growth slowed, and per capita GNP fell below that of the South.
North Korea's total external debt was estimated at 5.9~14.7 billion dollars as of the end of 2021. Among them, debt to public institutions accounted for 2.3~11.1 billion dollars, and debt to financial institutions accounted for 3.6 billion dollars.
As of 2023, despite slowly renewing cross-border trade, North Korea remains one of the World's most isolated and one of Asia's poorest countries.
According to a report on the 2023 national settlement of accounts approved at a Cabinet meeting, the country's national debt stood at 1,126.7 trillion won, up by 59.4 trillion won from 2022. The total includes 1,092.5 trillion won owed by the central government and 34.2 trillion won owed by provinci...
The U.S. does not currently provide any direct aid to North Korea.
After Sinbad was sanctioned by OFAC in November 2023, North Korea continued exploring other laundering tools. With nearly USD 1.5 billion stolen in the past two years alone, North Korea's hacking prowess demands continuous vigilance and innovation from business and governments.
New Focus International reported that black-market trading “provides the main source of income for most North Koreans.” The black-markets were known as “jangmadang,” it said. Hoare said that when North Korea's economy had been stronger, workers had received money through the state's Public Distribution System.
The disintegration of the Soviet Union, followed by a food crisis in the aftermath of a series of natural disasters—hail storms in 1994, flooding from 1995 to 1996, and droughts in 1997—pushed North Korea into an economic crisis. Sanctions and trade restrictions have further hurt the country's economic prospects.
- Japan. Japan has the highest percentage of national debt in the world at 259.43% of its annual GDP. ...
- United States. ...
- China. ...
- Russia.
What country is not in debt?
Characteristic | National debt in relation to GDP |
---|---|
Macao SAR | 0% |
Brunei Darussalam | 2.06% |
Kuwait | 3.08% |
Hong Kong SAR | 4.27% |
North Korea still owes 2.2 billion Swedish kronor (234 million euros) to Sweden from these imports. Out of all countries, the North Korean debt to Sweden is the largest, followed by Iraq whose debt is a billion kronor smaller.
In fact, Estonia is not only a successful country without hardly any debt, but also one of the wealthiest. Additionally, its long-term growth trajectory remains very strong. With just under a million and a half inhabitants, and no natural resources, Estonia was part of the Soviet Union until 1991.
China and North Korea have a mutual aid and co-operation treaty, signed in 1961, which is currently the only defense treaty either country has with any nation. China maintains an embassy in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang and a consulate general in Chongjin.
Since Otto Warmbier's death, The United States have barred its citizens from traveling to North Korea. The only way to travel there as an American is to have a special governmental passport like the one the Foreign Ministry do have or have or to obtain the permission from the U.S federal government.
It has pursued a nuclear weapons program, constructed and exported ballistic missiles, sponsored terrorist acts, allegedly participated in the drug trade and counterfeiting, and posed a continuous threat to U.S. allies and interests, resulting in the stationing of U.S. forces in South Korea and Japan.
It's illegal for North Koreans to leave the country without the regime's permission. But every year North Koreans are risking their lives trying to escape. They cross into China but they are still in danger. The Chinese government arrests North Korean refugees and sends them back to the regime.
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
(Soohwan Oh, CoinDesk Korea) - North Korea-linked hacker organization Lazarus Group has stolen $3 billion in cryptocurrency over the past six years, according to a report by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
After the Korean War or during the Cold War period, a total of 3,795 people have been abducted and taken to North Korea. Subsequently, through the South Korean government's protests and various efforts via the Korean National Red Cross, 3,309 people have returned to South Korea.
The average official salary in the DPRK is between 5,000 and 10,000 North Korean won a month, roughly equivalent to $1-3 at the black market exchange rate. While retail prices are low in North Korea, two dollars a month is still not enough to keep one alive.
How many people have escaped North Korea?
The number of defectors since the 1950–1953 Korean War is more than 26,000. Military defections across the heavily fortified demilitarized zone (DMZ) are few in number, with only 20 defectors since 1996.
The Soviet Union agreed to help North Korea develop a peaceful nuclear energy program, including the training of nuclear scientists.
Poverty in North Korea has also been attributed to poor governance by the regime. It is estimated that 60% of the total population of North Korea live below the poverty line in 2020.
The $34 trillion gross federal debt equals debt held by the public plus debt held by federal trust funds and other government accounts. In very basic terms, this can be thought of as debt that the government owes to others plus debt that it owes to itself. Learn more about different ways to measure our national debt.
Highlights: North Korea Crime Rate Statistics
According to OSAC's 2020 Crime and Safety Report, North Korea was given a crime rating of "Medium." North Korea has an estimated incarceration rate of about 600 per 100,000 people, one of the highest in the world.
References
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korean_defectors
- https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2023/12/01/north-korean-hackers-lazarus-group-stolen-3b-in-cryptocurrency/
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/013015/how-north-korea-economy-works.asp
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korea_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korea%E2%80%93Sweden_relations
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_North_Korea
- https://www.pgpf.org/national-debt-clock
- https://gitnux.org/north-korea-crime-rate/
- https://www.state.gov/countries-areas/north-korea/
- https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-current-policy-on-US-citizens-visiting-North-Korea-Why-do-some-people-still-visit-despite-the-restrictions
- https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-by-national-debt
- https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-united-states-and-north-korea/
- https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/korea-north/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_North_Korea
- https://www.cnn.com/2013/04/09/business/north-korea-economy-explainer/index.html
- https://www.trmlabs.com/post/north-korean-hackers-stole-600-million-in-crypto-in-2023
- https://libertyinnorthkorea.org/refugee-rescues
- https://www.clearfinances.net/countries-without-public-debt/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/273488/countries-with-the-lowest-national-debt/
- https://repo.kinu.or.kr/bitstream/2015.oak/14448/5/4.%20Jooyung%20Lee%2897~124%29.pdf
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korean_abductions_of_South_Koreans
- https://www.nknews.org/2022/02/whats-in-it-for-the-working-man-why-north-koreans-show-up-for-low-wage-jobs/
- https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20240411050653
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%E2%80%93North_Korea_relations