Well, I discovered this series of events that really peaked my curiosity. The Friederick Naumann Foundtaion has hosted two conferences on DPRK economic reform in Pyongyang.
From the Foundtaion’s web site:
Since 2004, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation has been organizing seminars and workshops in North Korea in order to transfer knowledge on market economy. The first EU-DPRK workshop, which was held in August 2004 focused on economic transition processes and the changes in the DPRK since 2002. This second meeting had a more specific focus on practical issues that were raised last year such as the role of the state in economic management, strategies to attract foreign direct investment and the restructuring of state-owned enterprises and agriculture.
I have reconstructed this short agenda with links to relevant papers:
Opening: Kung Sok Ung, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK (in attendance: almost 100 DPRK officials from economic ministries, institutions, and universities as well as reps from the EU)
Session 1: The Role of the State in Economic Management
Dr. Ari Kokko, professor at the Stockholm School of Economics
Paper: Economic Systems and the Role of the State
Dr. Dusan Triska, former deputy Minister of Finance, Czechoslovakia
Paper: Redefining the role of the state: public planning and management tools
Mr. Max van der Sleen, Chairman of ECORYS Netherlands
Paper: Macro-economic tools of the State to manage the economy
Session 2: Conditions and Strategies to attract investment: experiences of the new member states of the EU
Dr. Andrea Szalavetz, Senior Research Fellow, Hungarian Institute for World Economics
Paper: Mobilizing foreign capital to promote catching-up and modernization: The Hungarian experience
Dr. Jacek Mironski, researcher at the Warsaw School of Economics
Paper: Human Resource Management and Investment in Human Capital
Mr. Han Dok Son, DPRK’s University of National Economy
Paper: Actions for Modernization of National economy in DPRK
Session 3: Restructuring state-owned enterprises and agricultural sector: Methods and implementation.
Mr. Ju Yong Seol, Economic Research Institute of the Cabinet
Paper: New economic measures taken by the DPR Korea and the experience gained from their implementation
Dr. Bruno Dallago, University of Trento
Paper: Creation and development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Dr. Brigitta Kauers, Head of Division at Germany’s Federal Ministry of Finance
Paper: Experiences with the Treuhand agency in Germany
Dr. Michael Cuddy, National University of Ireland
Paper: Some thoughts on agriculture and rural development in the DPRK
