North Korean Economy Watch

According to the Joongang Daily:

North Korea’s leadership wants “renovations” of its capital city of Pyongyang, a South Korean government source said yesterday, and much of the so-called renovations will reflect the rising power of the military.

The source said that leader Kim Jong-il and heir-apparent Kim Jong-un had given orders to hand the Ministry of Capital City Construction Development over to the military.

The source also said military men took over key positions in the ministry.

The modernization of the capital is a long-term project that began in 2001. The Ministry of Capital City Construction Development was included in the cabinet in that year.

In 2006, Kim Jong-il’s brother-in-law Jang Song-thaek, often called the second-most powerful man in North Korea, took charge of the ministry.

It is unclear, however, whether Jang will continue to head the ministry after the military takes over.

The change is being seen as part of North Korea’s often stated goal of becoming a “strong and prosperous country” by 2012.

That will also include improving Pyongyang and the economy as a whole, with the military controlling much of the activity.

Temporary youth brigades were mobilized last September to help with construction throughout the country. They were assigned to military brigades as regular soldiers.

North Korea analysts have said that the change in the ministry was for “mobilization and stronger control.”

“North Korea has recently stopped calling laborers and farmers the ‘leaders of the revolution,’ and said the soldiers are,” said Jung Chang-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Kookmin University in Seoul.

“Assigning civilian groups to the military means that the leadership aims to mobilize the people and gain effective control to create a strong and prosperous country by next year,” Jung added.

Kim Jong-il said in October 1996, during a speech honoring the 50th anniversary of Kim Il Sung University: “Only the military can be trusted.”

Kim’s reliance on the military and the mobilization of civilians into the military reflects his songun, or “military-first,” ideology.

The moves also aim to solidify Kim Jong-un as the next leader of North Korea, with his name on the orders along with his father’s. If the projects improve people’s lives, the positive results can be attributed to Kim Jong-un, said Lee Jo-won, professor of political science at Chung-Ang University in Seoul.

The number of facilities in Pyongyang that have been renovated over the past 10 years are too numerous to mention here.  Most showcase factories, schools, theaters and restaurants have been renovated.  Some more than once.

Additionally, the North Korean government has sought to boost the quantity of housing in the city.  A high-profile project near the Potonggang Gate has already been completed, and labor units are busy trying to complete 100,000 new housing units by next February.

Here are previous posts on: Real estate and Construction.

Read the full story below:
Kims want to ‘renovate’ Pyongyang for people
Joongang Daily
Jeong Yong-soo
2/9/2011

I am busy preparing for the last exam I will need to take for graduate school, so I have a backlog of posts that have remained neglected.  This one has sat around for too long, but was a personal victory for me to uncover.

Back in the autumn of 2008 the North-Korea-watching-world was abuzz with speculation about Kim Jong-il’s health since he had vanished from public view in August (see more here).  Fueling the speculation, Kim Jong-il missed the country’s 60th anniversary celebrations in September–which everyone expected him to attend (read more here). KJI marked his return to “public life” on October 4th of that year when he attended a student football match (read more here).  According to KCNA:

Pyongyang, October 4 (KCNA) — General Secretary Kim Jong Il enjoyed a student football match on the occasion of the 62nd anniversary of Kim Il Sung University, the highest institution of Juche-based education and science.

There was the football match between teams of Kim Il Sung University and Pyongyang University of Railways that day, at which the former beat the latter 4-1.

KCNA released several pictures of the match, but I post the most important below along with a satellite image of the location from Google Earth:

In both Google Earth images I have marked off the respective image locations using red arrows.  The top images are the most convincing: The fence, the covering, the field, and hilltop in the background are all spot-on matches .  There is a viewing stand as well (shown in the bottom pictures).  The other official photos, which I did not post, match the satellite imagery as well. You can see them all in the original KCTV broadcast on YouTube.

Just to be safe, I checked out the football fields at Kim Il-sung University and the Pyonyang University of Railroads and neither come close to matching the photographs:

I also checked the hundreds of football fields that I have tagged on my Google Earth file.  None of those match either.

So I think it is fair to say that Kim Jong-il watched the football match from his home in the Kangdong compound (39.200045°, 126.020564°) and this is where he recovered from his surgery, or stroke, or whatever befell him, in the fall of 2008.  Or maybe this is just what they want us to think and he was actually in Wonsan or Hamhung?  It is also worth noting that this compound received a new helipad sometime between March 6, 2004 and December 17, 2006 (39.204600°, 126.014662°).

The Choson Ilbo begins this story with “Rumor has it”….

Rumor has it that China is getting directly involved in the development of North Korea’s Rajin-Sonbong Port, once the center of the UN Development Programme’s Duman (or Tumen) River project in 1991. A source in Beijing said Wednesday, “As far as I’m aware, North Korea and China’s Commerce Ministry recently signed a memorandum of understanding outlining Beijing’s investment of US$3.5 billion over five years beginning next year” in the special economic zone there. The source said China is investing in roads, ports and gas facilities in the region.

The Rajin-Sonbong area, at the mouth of the Duman River, is a strategic point of economic cooperation between the two countries, but neither bank is Chinese territory. One side is in North Korea and the other in Russia, so to get to the East Sea China had to borrow a port from either side. China did nothing about the UNDP initiative in the 1990s, but since the mid-2000s, it has set its eyes on the area.

North Korea for some reason rented out the best equipped dock there to Russia in 2008 but since last year it has been seeking investment from China to overcome dried-up aid from South Korea amid international sanctions. North Korean leader Kim Jong-il urged Chinese President Hu Jintao when he visited China in May this year to invest in the region.

But the rumor of direct investment from the Chinese government has not been confirmed. One diplomatic source in Beijing said, “I’ve heard nothing about the Chinese Commerce Ministry’s direct involvement in negotiations. It’s just one of many rumors since North Korea became active in developing the Rajin-Sonbong area.”

UPDATE from the Choson Ilbo:

Chinese officials with close ties with North Korea say the North has used to demand hard cash for business deals but is now taking a more flexible approach. The Global Times, a sister publication of the People’s Daily, published a series of reports Saturday about the Rajin-Sonbong special economic zone of North Korea.

It said street lights and neon signs powered by windmills have appeared in the region, which had earlier been pitch dark at night, while the previously ubiquitous soldiers have vanished.

North Korea allowed 4,000 Chinese residents in the area to rent commercial property and agreed to designate an area in the Rajin-Sonbong special economic zone to be jointly administered by the two countries.

North Korea had offered China to develop one or two islands in the estuary of the Apnok River on a 50-year lease, but when China demurred it apparently offered a 100-year lease and even allowed construction of golf courses and other recreational facilities.

…

Many private Chinese companies are reticent about investing in North Korea. Not only is there a lack of business laws to protect their investment, there are also too many political uncertainties. As a result, the Chinese government is not playing a very active role. In the case of the bridge across the Apnok River, North Korea apparently wanted Chinese state-run companies to take part in construction, but Beijing declined.

One source in Beijing said some Chinese companies are showing great interest in developing the Rajin-Sonbong area, but most are biding their time. “Chinese businesses still don’t seem to trust the sincerity of North Korea’s desire to open up its economy,” the source added.

Additional Information:
1. The Chinese and Russians currently lease docks at Rajin. You can see a satellite image of them here.

2. Here is more information on China’s 10-year lease of Rajin.

3. Here is information on the Yalu Islands China is reportedly leasing.

4. The Russians are also building Russian gauge railway line from the Russian border to the port in Rajin.

5. Here are all previous Rajin (Rason)posts

Read the full stories here:
Beijing ‘Pouring Money into N.Korea’s Special Economic Zone’
Choson Ilbo
12/30/2010

N.Korea’s Cross-Border Business with China Picking Up
Choson Ilbo
12/30/2010

Institute for Far Eastern Studies (IFES)
NK Brief No. 10-11-30
11/30/2010

North Korea has recently revised the Pyongyang City Management Law in order to support ongoing modernization efforts by increasing the management and operational authority of the Cabinet and of the State Planning Committee. On October 21, the Cabinet newspaper ‘Minju Chosun’ ran an article emphasizing the need to ensure that necessary capital and supplies were guaranteed for the construction of 100,000 new residences in Pyongyang and now it appears the North is backing up this modernization drive with the law.

The legal code was revised in accordance with Order No. 743, passed down by the standing committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly on March 30 of this year, but was just recently made public in South Korea. What stands out in this newly revised law is that the central government has strengthened its hold on management and operations within the city.

Article 47 of the city management law states, “The Cabinet must naturally take control of and supervise Pyongyang management operations,” and Article 48 stipulates that the State Planning Committee and the Pyongyang People’s Committee establish and strictly follow detailed plans for each sector of management operations within the capital city. Article 47, of the former law (enacted on 26 Nov. 1998), which covered management projects within Pyongyang, was removed while five new articles were added. Article 17 covers housing construction, Article 27 covers management of street lighting, Article 43 covers the delivery of publications, Article 46 stipulates basic working conditions, and Article 51 guarantees that goods will be produced for Pyongyang markets.

Article 17 stipulates that “the construction of housing must completely guaranteed,” and Article 51 states that planning for and production of commercial goods for Pyongyang must be ensured “without fail.” Housing, goods, electricity, capital and other necessities for the modernization of Pyongyang have now been essentially legally guaranteed. New housing in the capital has been a priority for the North, with construction already underway and plans for 30,000 additional units next year and 35,000 more in 2012. In order to show off these new renovations day and night, Article 27 calls for the “logical installation of street lights” to brighten walkways, roads, and national monuments. The new legal revision appears to be yet another step toward shoring up the framework for establishment of a ‘Strong and Prosperous Nation’ and transition of power to yet a third generation of Kims.

The new law reinforces Pyongyang’s centrality in North Korea’s revolutionary ambitions, referring to the capital as “the home of Juche,” “the heart of the Korean people,” and “the face of the nation.”

According to the Choson Ilbo:

The North Korean regime is enacting sweeping changes to the law to bolster state control. A source familiar with North Korean affairs on Tuesday said four North Korean laws covering economic planning were revised in April and laws governing management of Pyongyang were revised in March.

The revised laws, which the source claims to have seen, “show the central regime’s intention to control everything, from the economy to the daily lives of the people.” North Korea has changed or enacted at least 17 different laws since November last year, just before a botched currency reform.

The revised economic planning law deletes a phrase in Article 17, which stipulated that the economy is planned “in line with methods that are presented from lower levels.” According to the source, the regime inserted the phrase when it announced timid economic reforms in July 2001 in order to give more authority over production to individual factories and businesses. “The deletion of the phrase demonstrates the intention to retrieve that authority,” the source said.

Instead, the terms “provisional figures” and “control figures” were revived after their omission in 2001. “The term ‘provisional figures’ refers to the potential output each factory sets, while ‘control figures’ represent the actual output amount assessed by the central government,” the source said. “So the terms strengthen the centralized economic planning regulations of the past.”

In Article 27, a new clause was inserted which reads, “The planning of the people’s economy is a legal task.” The source said, “This means that the partial freedom given to individual factories over production has now been taken away completely.”

The law on the management of Pyongyang, which was revised on March 30, also stresses the role of the state. Originally, maintenance and management of the capital were up to the Pyongyang City People’s Committee. But under the revision it falls into the hands of the State Planning Committee and the Cabinet. Also, all Pyongyang residents over the age of 17 have been ordered to carry their resident identification cards at all times.

Also added were articles that bind the central government to guarantee housing and the supply of necessities for the residents of Pyongyang. This shows the clear intention of the regime to take charge of housing and goods supply. “Labor and commercial laws also contain clear intentions to bolster government control,” the source said.

Kim Yong-hyun of Dongguk University, said as conditions worsened after the failed currency reform and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s son has been lined up to succeed his father, “the regime seems to feel that tighter internal control is better than aggressive reform. Even if North Korea is looking to partially open up through economic cooperation with China, this will be difficult to achieve with such a conservative approach.”

The Donga Ilbo also covered the story.

Read the full story here:
N.Korea Reverts to Hardline State Control
Choson Ilbo
11/17/2010

Several days ago, the Daily NK reported on the reconstruction of a few elite compounds in the DPRK.  See the previous post here.  Satellite imagery on Google Earth also reveals that a compound in Wonsan has been refurbished.

Wonsan compound 2002
(click image to enlarge)

Wonsan compounf 2009
(click image to enlarge)

Although the satellite imagery for 2009 is not particularly clear, it is easy to observe that the main complex, in the center of the screen, has been rebuilt and modernized.  There is no more lake.  It also appears that several beach guest houses or cabanas have been built on the eastern shore.

Given the sum of my knowledge about this particular location (which is minimal), I believe this compound is intended for use by KPA officials.  This is because it is located across the Wonsan Bay from a much larger elite complex for members of the Worker’s Party. See the map below:

Additionally, this site has been the location of two high-profile artillery tests by KPA units 681 and 851. See here and here.

If you are aware of any publications which discuss this compound, please let me know.

The Daily NK reports that construction is afoot at numerous DPRK leadership compounds.

Residence 15 in the Central District (중앙구역):

The residence is located at 39° 0’56.39″N, 125°44’45.45″E.  The first photo is dated March 23, 2009.  The second is dated December 20, 2009.  The third image is from the Daily NK story overlaid onto Google Earth.

Onpho Spa in Kyongsong County (경성군):
The Daily NK also provides a new image of the elite compound at the Onpho Spa.  Here is the original low resolution image from Google Earth and the new high resolution image:

This compound is located at 41°39’26.91″N, 129°30’29.57″E.  Even though the “before” image is in low resolution, we can see that the compound has been drastically rebuilt.  It bears resemblance to the Sinchon Elite Compound (satellite image here) which also is built on a spa.    Barbara Demick mentioned this facility in her recent Nothing to Envy.

The Daily NK also mentions that here is construction taking place at the leadership compound in Songdowon, north of Wonsan. Satellite image here.

The reconstruction of leadership compounds has been underway for some time.  I blogged about some other projects in February 2009. Read about them here.

Here is the text from the Daily NK story:

An unusual level of remodeling and reconstruction of official buildings and special villas is going on across North Korea, according to sources.

One such source inside North Korea reported today that after demolishing the No. 15 Official Residence, located in vicinity of Kim Jong Il’s current office in Pyongyang, the authorities began construction of a new building in July, a claim which has been confirmed by satellite images.

The No. 15 Official Residence was where Ko Young Hee, Kim Jong Eun’s mother, used to live. The location is linked to Kim Jong Il’s office and other official buildings by underground tunnels fitted with an electronic train. When Kim Jong Eun was a child, he also lived there.

However, the source said he believes that the prime real estate may be undergoing a change of use.

The source also reported that in December, 2009, Kim Jong Eun ordered the destruction of another special villa in Kyungsung, North Hamkyung Province, a place famous for hot springs, and the building of a new conference hall and villa with imported construction materials in its place.

Approximately ten kilometers of road and rail construction has also been going on so that the area can be reached more conveniently, the source added.

According to the source, around 1,200 soldiers have been mobilized alongside residents of Chongjin and Hoiryeong for the work. In addition, each household in the area has had to provide ten buckets of rocks for construction and pay 500 won for their delivery.

Regarding this work, North Korea Reform Radio reported in July, “During construction of Kim Jong Eun’s special villa in Kyungsung, the authorities diverted the flow of a stream flowing through Haonpo-ri in Kyungsung, burying farms and angering residents.”

Reconstruction of another villa and conference hall at the coastal Songdowon Resort in Wonsan, Kangwon Province is also ongoing. This construction is reportedly a gift for Kim Jong Il on the orders of Kim Jong Eun.

The construction consists of two large, circular buildings. One of them has a lot of separate rooms, while the other has just one big hall, according to rumors.

Therefore, the source assumed that the finished building might be a similar to Kim Jong Il’s Seoho Villa, the No. 72 Villa in Nakwon, South Hamkyung, which is rumored to have one room extending 100m below the ground.

A South Korean architect estimates that the construction of the three facilities and railroad will cost a total of around $180 million dollars, an amount which, according to the current international market price of corn, $300/ton, is enough to buy 600,000 tons of corn, enough to feed 2.3 million North Koreans for two months.

According to documents the South Korean military and intelligence authorities provided for submission to a hearing of the Diplomacy, Commerce and Unification Committee of the National Assembly by lawmaker Yoon Sang Hyun, there are 33 luxurious villas in beautiful mountainous areas and along the coasts of North Korea. Since 2008, 13 out of 33 sites have been under maintenance work, according to intelligence.

There are also 28 stations for the exclusive use of Kim Jong Il across North Korea.

In North Korea, in general, around two or three facilities are remodeled per year, but the current degree of widespread construction and remodeling suggests that Kim Jong Eun may be set to use the villas in the future.

On this, an anonymous expert with a national policy institute suggested that it does not portend a scaling back of the Kim family ruling style. “Seeing Kim Jong Eun’s luxurious life pattern,” he said, “he seems set to follow his father’s conventional method of dictatorship.”

You can see satellite imagery of 19 leadership  train stations here.

Read the full sotry here:
Luxury Villa Construction Booming
Daily NK
Kim Tae Hong
10/26/2010

According to the Daily NK:

In Dandong, the number of people studying the Chosun language (Korean) is increasing, while real estate prices are rising on the back of rumors that Shinuiju, just across the North Korean border, will soon be opened up to trade and investment.

One anonymous Korean-Chinese trader who already engages in business with North Korea in the area told The Daily NK on the 15th, “The rumor among Chinese traders who have recently been in North Korea has it that ‘The North Korea authorities will open Shinuiju sooner or later.’”

As a result, he said, “There is currently an upsurge in the price of apartments and shops in Dandong, while the number of people wanting to learn the Chosun language is increasing.”

The trader explained that for the last three or four years the real estate market in Dandong has been flat. However, with reports of Kim Jong Eun’s internal appointment as the successor spreading earlier this year, the price of Hanquosheng, Dongfang Minzhu, Taiyang Dasha and other luxury apartments has increased by more than ten percent over the course of the summer.

The source pointed in particular to the fact that the price of apartments under construction in the Langtou Port area has gone from 2,000 Yuan/m² (approximately $300) in May to 3,200 Yuan/m² (approximately $480) in October. The neighborhood has particularly bright prospects as it is the location for the planned Second Yalu River Bridge under an agreement made during the visit to Pyongyang of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in 2009.

The Daily NK’s Korean-Chinese source explained that those primarily responsible for fuelling the real estate gains are Korean-Chinese from the Northeastern provinces of China.

He reported, “Since Dandong has geographical advantages, being cool in summer and warm in winter, as well as being able to provide for North Korea’s development of Shinuiju, the city has emerged as the best investment location for Korean-Chinese people.”

“The expectation that Kim Jong Eun is still young and has experience of life in Switzerland; therefore he knows well the need to develop the country and will have no choice but to make that decision, is driving the investment by Korean-Chinese,” the source added.

Naturally, the presumption that Shinuiju will soon offer some new opportunities for business is producing a new trend for learning the North Korean language.

Wang, a 21 year-old student from a university in Dandong said, “Chinese students know that South Korean is different from Chosun,” and went on, “Until now, South Korean has been all the rage thanks to Hallyu (as the South Korean cultural influence in wider Asia is known), but recently the number of students wanting to learn Chosun has been drastically increasing.”

There are presumed to be roughly 3,000-4,000 North Koreans residing in Dandong, including students. Some of them exchange languages with Chinese students, while some others give private classes for between five and ten Yuan an hour.

Alongside which, private Korean language institutes in Dandong are enjoying increased demand.

One South Korean who manages a Korean language institute in Dandong told The Daily NK, “In the case of Korean language institutes in downtown Dandong, each class has seen an increase of four or five students for this fall semester. Alongside Hallyu, the expectation that Shinuiju will open up has meant that the number of Chinese young people wanting to learn Korean is steadily increasing.”

Read the full story here:
Shinuiju Development Making Waves in Dandong
Daily NK
Park In Ho
10/18/2010

Pictured Above (Google Earth):  State (Drama) Theater before its most recent renovation

According to KCNA:

Pyongyang, October 8 (KCNA) — General Secretary Kim Jong Il gave on-the-spot guidance to the newly built State Theatre and visited artistes’ new flats.

He provided on-the-spot guidance to the newly built State Theatre.

The more than 620-seater theatre has all facilities necessary for art creation, performing activities and audience ranging from stage, latest sound and lighting facilities, rehearsal rooms, make-up rooms to an annex and welfare and service amenities.

He went round the exterior and interior of the theatre to learn in detail about its construction.

The theatre good in its interior structure and built on a high level is flawless in its architectural substance and style as a cultural and art edifice, he said, highly appreciating the feats performed by soldier- builders in successfully building the theatre of eternal value and extending thanks to them.

Noting that it is an astonishing miracle indeed that they completed the construction of such modern theatre to be proud of in a matter of little over four months, he stressed that this signal success is a striking manifestation of the inexhaustible mental power of the soldiers of the Korean People’s Army, the creators of the revolutionary soldier spirit.

The theatre which is a good combination of national and classical beauty and contemporary beauty and looks elegant, magnificent and exquisite is an excellent cultural edifice meeting the need of the new century, he noted, expressing great pleasure over the fact that it has become possible to hand one more valuable treasure to posterity.

He set forth tasks to be carried out to manage and operate the theatre.

He visited the families of the artistes who have just moved to the new apartment houses on the bank of the River Taedong.

He looked round the exterior and interior of the flats for hours to acquaint himself in detail with their construction.

The apartment houses for artistes are ultra-modern flats built according to the party’s plan and intention to provide the people with the best living conditions, he said, adding that these flats are a model and standard for the construction of the houses to be used by all the people in a thriving nation.

Noting that the flats for artistes were designed well and built on the highest level, he highly appreciated the feats performed by the soldier-builders in completing them in a short span of time and extended thanks to them.

Then he visited the families of Paek Sung Ran, Choe Kum Hyang and Kim Chol Jin, actresses and actor of the State Theatrical Troupe, and Ri Ji Yong, head of the troupe, who have just moved to the new flats.

After congratulating them on their moving to the new flats and having cordial talk with them, he took deep care of every aspect of their living as a real father would do. He bestowed upon them such great benevolence as presenting them with household articles in token of his visit.

He praised the artistes, noting that the artistes intensely loyal to the Party and the leader are the reliable sentinels standing on the ideological front to powerfully encourage the masses in the drive to implement the Party’s policies.

Noting that the Korean people’s age-old ideal and wishes are becoming a brilliant reality thanks to the high-pitched drive for effecting a great surge, he said that this stirring event in the era of the Workers’ Party has put on the horizon a rosy future of a thriving nation of Juche which will stand imposingly on this land.

Making the rounds of streets of the capital city taking on new looks day by day on the same day, he advanced highly important tasks which would serve as guidelines for turning Pyongyang into a more magnificent and beautiful city.

Noting that housing construction is of very weighty significance in settling the issue of the people’s living, he stressed that as an immediate task it is necessary to complete in the shortest possible period the construction of flats for 100,000 families in the city as modern as the apartment houses now standing in Mansudae Street and the newly built apartment houses for artistes.

He expressed great expectation and conviction that all the builders of the capital city would work new miracles in its construction in the new century and thus once again demonstrate the revolutionary spirit of the service persons and people of the DPRK, the successors to the great history and tradition.

He was accompanied by Kim Yong Nam, Choe Yong Rim, Ri Yong Ho, members of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee, Kim Yong Chun, Kim Ki Nam, Choe Thae Bok, Yang Hyong Sop, Kim Kyong Hui, Kang Sok Ju, Ju Sang Song and Hong Sok Hyong, members of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee, and Jang Song Thaek, Kim Yang Gon, Kim Yong Il, Pak To Chun, Choe Ryong Hae, Ju Kyu Chang, Ri Thae Nam, Thae Jong Su, Kim Phyong Hae, U Tong Chuk, Kim Jong Gak, Kim Chang Sop and Mun Kyong Dok, alternate members of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee.

Before this news release, the theater was known as the “State Drama Theater”.  KCNA reports only two performances here since 1996: here and here.

What is strange is that this is the second major renovation of the rarely-used theater in a decade.  Below is a satellite image of the theater’s first renovation in June 2000 (Google Earth):

Here is a picture of the facility as it appears today (Daylife.com):

The new housing for the theater’s “artistes” does not appear on available satellite imagery, but its location is easy enough to determine using KCNA photos.  Below is a picture of the new buildings as well as a photo of the location next to the Pyongyang’s central district market:

For the same reasons that President Obama has a tendency to take visiting dignitaries to my favorite hamburger restaurant in Arlington, VA, the North Koreans have designated “friendship farms” for countries the North Koreans enjoy or expect to enjoy cozy relations.  Below I have identified a few for you to check out on Google Earth.

DPRK-Iran Friendship Ripsok Cooperative Farm

Coordinates: 39°28’34.69″N, 125°29’48.92″E
This farm has been mentioned in this capacity in KCNA four times: here, here, here, and here.
Date first mentioned: May 17, 2007

DPRK-Russia Friendship Kochang Cooperative Farm

Coordinates: 38°58’3.82″N, 125°36’4.67″E
It has been mentioned in KCNA at least 26 times.  See here.
Date first mentioned:  June 23, 1999

DPRK-China Friendship Thaekam Cooperative Farm

Coordinates: 39°15’4.41″N, 125°41’53.06″E
This farm has been mentioned at least 29 times in KCNA.  See here.
Date first mentioned: June 1, 1997

I have also located friendship farms for: Laos, Poland, Cuba, Bulgaria, Vietnam, Malaysia,  Indonesia, Germany, Palestine, Cambodia, Mongolia, India, Syria, Nigeria, Libya, Egypt, New Zealand, Yugoslavia, and Pakistan.

The United States does not yet have a friendship farm in the DPRK, but maybe someday it will be Osan-ri in Sunan-kuyok, Pyongyang. This is where the Fuller Center plans to launch a housing project. Their planned location and site plans are posted below.

Jimmy Carter, who founded Habitat for Humanity, has recently endorsed this project. (UPDATE: more here and here)

Thanks again to Google Earth and GeoEye.