Comments on: Noko Jeans http://www.nkeconwatch.com/2008/07/08/noko-jeans/ News and analysis of the North Korean economy Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:00:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Koreabloggen http://www.nkeconwatch.com/2008/07/08/noko-jeans/#comment-97092 Koreabloggen Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:49:34 +0000 http://www.nkeconwatch.com/2008/07/08/noko-jeans/#comment-97092 This is what I managed to find on jeans manufacturing in North Korea, but the article doesn't reveal whether it ever happened or not: http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk02700&num=1183. This is what I managed to find on jeans manufacturing in North Korea, but the article doesn’t reveal whether it ever happened or not: http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk02700&num=1183.

]]> By: Koreabloggen http://www.nkeconwatch.com/2008/07/08/noko-jeans/#comment-97091 Koreabloggen Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:45:27 +0000 http://www.nkeconwatch.com/2008/07/08/noko-jeans/#comment-97091 As Sweden's only North Korea blogger, I of course had to get in touch with these people. It seems like the project is actually happening. But I can't help remaining a little skeptical, because of the way that North Korea has - just like Eric Cornell points out - treated potential investors in the past. I have a feeling that the NK feels that they can afford obstructing and continously changing the conditions especially frequently when they're dealing with a small company that wouldn't substantially change the foundations of their economy, to say the least. But I hope, for NoKo jeans's sake - and for my own, since I want a pair of these jeans - that there's a new attitude towards foreign businesses among the North Koreans dealing with them these days. Eric Cornell pointed out in an interview that I did with him earlier this year that he had sensed a new kind of thinking among North Korean officials today (he met some of them while they were in Sweden two years ago for classes at the Stockholm Business School) in comparison with they way that they had behaved during his years at the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang. I strongly believe that North Korea is prepared to sacrifice a lot more than they have in the past in order to get more foreign businesses operating in the country, but I also have doubts about what efforts they are really prepared to make for minor companies. What do you think? And are they really the first jeans makers in North Korea? I can't recall actually reading about any companies in Kaesong making jeans, but it wouldn't surprise me... While I'm at it, I want to thank you for running one of the most interesting blogs out there. Keep it up! Koreabloggen As Sweden’s only North Korea blogger, I of course had to get in touch with these people. It seems like the project is actually happening. But I can’t help remaining a little skeptical, because of the way that North Korea has - just like Eric Cornell points out - treated potential investors in the past. I have a feeling that the NK feels that they can afford obstructing and continously changing the conditions especially frequently when they’re dealing with a small company that wouldn’t substantially change the foundations of their economy, to say the least.

But I hope, for NoKo jeans’s sake - and for my own, since I want a pair of these jeans - that there’s a new attitude towards foreign businesses among the North Koreans dealing with them these days. Eric Cornell pointed out in an interview that I did with him earlier this year that he had sensed a new kind of thinking among North Korean officials today (he met some of them while they were in Sweden two years ago for classes at the Stockholm Business School) in comparison with they way that they had behaved during his years at the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang.

I strongly believe that North Korea is prepared to sacrifice a lot more than they have in the past in order to get more foreign businesses operating in the country, but I also have doubts about what efforts they are really prepared to make for minor companies. What do you think?

And are they really the first jeans makers in North Korea? I can’t recall actually reading about any companies in Kaesong making jeans, but it wouldn’t surprise me…

While I’m at it, I want to thank you for running one of the most interesting blogs out there. Keep it up!

Koreabloggen

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