About “North Korean Economy Watch”
This site is intended as a resource for business persons, policy makers, academics, journalists and others interested in the North Korean economy (broadly speaking).
Categories
The category menu on the right hand side of the web page links to relevant articles listed in order of posting. The main categories are listed in alphabetical order, but the sub categories are listed under their relevant category heading.
This format might be confusing for new readers, so in instances where this is the case, please use the search box located at the top of the sidebar.
Additionally, confusion can arise over the proper romanization of Korean names. In most cases, the categories are listed using the North Korean style of romanization (for instance, the editor uses “Kaesong” rather than ”Gaesong”). However, when referencing another author’s work, the editor will leave in place the original author’s spelling.
Content
Content for this website is a combination of materials from outside sources and the editor’s own writings. If the editor uses or posts someone else’s work, full credit will be given (and links if possible) so that said material may be verified and referenced by others.
This site focuses primarily on economic and cultural aspects of North Korea. This site does not generally focus on human rights issues or the nuclear issue, though they will come up from time to time. Although these topics are important, they are thoroughly covered in other forums.
Disclaimer
The views expressed by Curtis Melvin on this web site are his alone and should not be interpreted to to be those of any of his associates.
Contributions
If you have specific knowledge which advances one of the topics being discussed in this forum, or you would like to put an item of interest to the readers of North Korean Economy Watch, the editor invites you to:
- Post your comments for others to read on the related post. Citations would be much appreciated so others can cite your reference in later work.
- Email stories and information directly to the editor of North Korean Economy Watch (as many already have) at: NKeconWatch “at” gmail “dot” com.
- If you are interested in guest blogging or making regular contributions, please email the editor of this blog at the above address for more information.
Special projects:
Google Earth North Korea- Compiling public maps, interviews, innovative analysis, and elbow grease, the editor of this site has also created the most comprehensive mapping of North Korea that publicly exists today. You can download it onto Google Earth here.
About the editor:
Curtis Melvin works and lives in southern Florida and is a PhD economics student at George Mason University in Virginia.
Curtis enjoys traveling to developing nations. To date he has visited over 40 countries including China, Zimbabwe, Iran, North Korea, Turkmenistan, and Myanmar. Curtis also enjoys Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, in which he is a purple belt. Curtis trains with Leo Dalla in Falls Church, VA.
Curtis received his BBA in economics from the University of Georgia and his MA in economics from George Mason University.
October 6th, 2008 at 11:03 am
Great site, Curtis. I’m looking for a charitable organization that serves the N. Korean refugees. Any suggestions? I found LFNKR, but would like to know if there are others. Any help is appreciated!
December 30th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Thank you. I’m a Japanese journalist.
Your website is very helpful to me.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Excellent site. I especially am impressed by the Uncovered North Korea Google Earth overlay project here.
May 21st, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Thank you for publishing this information. It is very interesting and informative. My Dad served in Korea so I am very interested in this area.
It is a great example of the power of the Internet-using resources such as Google Earth harnessed with the collaboration of many interested people.
May 22nd, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Let me join other commenters in appreciating your excellent site, its originality. Your site, for your information, is introduced today quite in detail on the front page of one of the largest circulating newspapers, called the DongA Ilbo, the daily circulation of which is estimated at over one million. So, by now, your site must have been known in South Korea.
The article by Mr. S.H Chun under the titile of “‘Internet Spies’ Liet the Beil of North(Korea)’ and a photographic illustration showing teh waterslike of the Kimg Joing Il’s villa.
May 26th, 2009 at 7:35 am
I made two trips to North Korea in the early 1990s. Here are some photos that my daughter (Annie) took.
http://www.anniephotos.com/00/0nko/index.html
May 30th, 2009 at 9:01 am
[…] Curtis Melvin, a PhD candidate at George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia, has harnessed a vast network of citizen spies who use Google Earth’s mapping tools to fill in the geographical blanks in the world’s most secretive nation. The palace pictured above is one of 73 elite compounds enjoyed by North Korea’s Kim Jong Il and his inner circle. […]
June 17th, 2009 at 2:39 am
[…] - og skræmmende - oplysninger er opstået gennem god, nymodens detektivarbejde. Initiativtageren Curtis Melvin og hans frivillige har brugt artikler, øjenvideberetninger, foto, rapporter, etc. til at […]
July 24th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
I would like to know the source of all this information, especially what one would consider sensitive and a secret like the location of Kim Jong Il home. It doesn’t seem reliable to me.
July 24th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Dear Kim,
A lot of work by many dedicted people has gone into verifying the information added to the Google Earth project. Recently, this project has received a lot of scrutiny in the media, but the information has been confirmed again and again: particularly information related to the homes of the elite and the burial mounds.
This project has been continuously improved over the last two+ years and we are now working on version 19! If you believe something to be incorrect, offer evidence of you claim and we will update it as we have been doing for years.
Best of luck,
C
August 24th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Curtis - what’s the official US State Dept policy on travel for US citizens to the DPRK?
Thanks and regards, Jeff (who loves your blog)
August 25th, 2009 at 4:24 am
Dear Mr. Ward.
There are no restrictions by the US governemtn on citizens visiting North Korea. Check out the “Economic Interaction with the United States ” section of this web page: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2792.htm
October 10th, 2009 at 5:32 am
Hi - just got back from DPRK. Interesting trip and your website is great. Cheers!
November 5th, 2009 at 6:50 am
Great site, enjoyed reading it very much !
Will we hope that we will never again experience such drastic social downturns as in the 1930s. But unfortunatly policy makers around the world do not seem to have understood economic history properly - the implications may be worse than expected.
Again great informations,
Thanks a lot,
Arne Krueger, Dresden, Germany
January 2nd, 2010 at 11:22 am
Happy new year, and thanks for the good work on this site.
Stephan Haggard
February 2nd, 2010 at 11:56 am
Curtis:
Do you have a consolidated list of the precise coordinates of the known North Korean prison camps, or know the easiest way to extract it from the various iterations of the (great) North Korea Uncovered project?
Thanks
Steph Haggard