The DPRK’s Naenara web page posts PDF copies of the DPRK magazine, International Trade. No updates have been made for 2013, however, Choson Exchange points an interesting article from the Q4 2012 issue which contains interesting information on the DPRK mining sector.
Choson Exchange posted a high resolution .jpg from the most recent issue of International Trade and you can see it here.
The article, “Abundant Underground Resources and the Policy for Their Development,” provides information on the “DPRK Law on Underground Resources” which was allegedly adopted by Decree No. 14 at the fifth session of the ninth Supreme Peoples’ Assembly (1993-4-8: during the Arduous March).
The text of the law is not given, and most of the article is “fluff” language, but here are some interesting tidbits:
Institutions, enterprises and organizations can develop underground resources. They are obliged not only to make mining equipment large, modern, and high-speed, and diversify transportation but to give priority to tunneling and introduce efficient mining methods to boost mineral output.
Development of underground resources is subject to the approval of the state organ of deliberation of underground resources development .
Institutions, enterprises and organizations engaged in underground resource development shall ensure high efficiency of investment pursuant to the design of underground resource development.
They shall ensure rational organization of mining to excavate ore bodies that conform to mining criterion and standard of calculating deposits of underground resources. But the practices of digging out only high-grade and thick ore bodies in good condition to excavate are prohibited.
Abandoning of ore and coal mines and their pits should be subject to the approval of the state organ of deliberation of underground resource development.
Institutions, enterprises, and organizations, concerned should actively tap the resources of geotherm, underground water and mineral water for the economic development and improvement of people’s [sic] life [sic].
The living environment of inhabitants and ecological environment of animals and plants, including land, resources and landscapes should not be damaged in the course of their development.
The DPRK policy of underground resources development makes a tangible contribution to protection and development of underground resources to fully meet the increasing demands of the national economy for raw materials and fuel, and thus gives the impetus to the building of a thriving socialist country.