Yeon Hacheong

In January 2001 North Korean leader Kim Jong Il traveled to China for the second time in seven months. He met with Chinese leaders and toured an industrial complex. North Korean press reports and some outside observers thought this visit might signal a move toward economic reforms similar to those China had undertaken following the death of its leader Mao Zedong in 1976. In the following viewpoint, which first appeared in the conservative South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, Yeon Hacheong argues that it is highly unlikely that North Korea will follow China’s path of politically controlled economic liberalization. North Korea lacks China’s domestic resources, is hampered by foreign criticism of its human rights record, and has yet to develop any foundations for a market economy. Yeon, an economics professor...