Moody’s pessimistic on DPRK reform

Will this have repercussions in the south’s credit rating?

From the Daily NK:

On May 22, an official of Moody’s Investor Service, a Credit Rating Agency, announced that despite Kim Jong Il’s visit to China early this year, North Korea did not show indications for internal economic reformation.

On May 22, Vice-president Thomas Byrne of Moody’s Investor Service rated the possibility of North Korea towards economic reformation negative in the North Korean Economic Outlook Symposium held by Institute for Corean-American Studies(ICAS) in the Rusell Senate Building.

Vice-president Byrne estimated that North Korea failed to adjust its currency and exchange rate, and its trade environment was not improved, so that rather its economic situation was worse. Plus, he emphasized that North Korea did not show any signs of internal economic reformation.

He said about Gaesung Industrial Complex that, “If 5 more complexes like Gaesung Industrial Complex develop, we can see North Korea be in the economic reformation’s process, yet the Complex is no more than a symbol”. He emphasized that if North Korea has a strong resolute for economic reformation, “it should follow the economic model of South Korea because the way to Seoul is easier than the train to Shanghai for it”.

Vice-president Byrne warned that if South Korea would continue to support North Korea economically, it would face economic crisis soon.

While saying that, “The difference between the approaches of South Korea and the U.S is not great enough to make an impact on the credit rating of South Korea”, he stated, “Due to North Korea, South Korea always gets a lower credit rating than its original rating”.

Meanwhile, a special correspondent informed that North Korean-Chinese trader Lee Dae Kil(pseudonym, 49) who recently came back from North Korea showed a negative opinion about North Korean economy.

Mr. Lee said that, “There has been little profit in spite of trades with North Koreans for a few years”, and “North Koreans buy and sell only for living, not for investment for profits. He said that, “The North Korean government does not show even such efforts”,.

Mr. Lee said that, “After it was known that the U.S blocked banks banking with North Korea, dollar transactions sharply decreased”, and “There were people who even asked me about what happened outside”.

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