2013 « North Korean Economy Watch

Archive for 2013

UN WFP inaugurates new biscuit factory in Phyongsong

Monday, October 21st, 2013

A new factory in Pyongson [sic] City brings to 14 the total number of facilities producing fortified foods for WFP programmes in DPR Korea.

On the occasion of World Food Day (16 October), WFP has opened a new factory to produce nutritious biscuits in DPR Korea. Fortified foods, produced in 14 factories all over the country, are the backbone of WFP’s efforts to address undernutririon and fight hunger in the country for some 1.6 million women and children every month.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Country Director Dierk Stegen said: “WFP is committed to fighting hunger worldwide. In DPRK, we work in close partnership with the government to reduce hunger and undernutrition in young children and their mothers by providing locally produced foods that are enriched with vitamins and minterals.”

Improved Efficiency
The Pyongsong Biscuit Production Line is replacing an existing biscuit factory in Haeju, as the equipment of that production line has become too old and too costly to replace. The Pyongsong Factory is strategically located, with a railway connection to Nampo port and easier access to nearby counties. The new factory will improve production efficiency, save transport costs and minimize the transport time of delivering the nutritious biscuits to 231,000 children at nurseries, kindergartens and schools in 12 counties.

Government Partnership
WFP and the Government of DPR Korea have been working together to produce nutritious foods enriched with vitamins and minerals in country since 1998. The Government contributes the factory infrastructure, staff support, and maintenance, utilities and overhead costs associated with the production, while WFP provides raw materials, spare parts, technical training and oversight of production and distribution.

Funding Needs
The Pyongson Biscuit Factory has the capacity to produce up to 294 metric tons of fortified biscuits every month – but this is dependent on contributions from donors. Currently, funding levels are such that production will cease at the end of February. For the next 12 months WFP needs to source US$80million to continue its work to provide assistance to the most vulnerable children and women in DPK Korea.

Story submitted by Liu Xuerong, Head of Programme, WFP DPRK

Posted in 2013 food shortage, Food, International Aid, UN World Food Program | Comments Closed

RFA reports on DPRK energy production / consumption

Monday, October 21st, 2013

According to Radio Free Asia:

The engineer [source], from North Hamgyong province, said that North Korean authorities had held negotiations for electricity supply with China “four times since May” in a bid to secure the power it needs to buoy its failing economy, but had “not achieved meaningful success.”

…

According to the electrical engineer, North Korea is more than 16 million kilowatts short of the annual electricity production it needs to adequately supply the country—unable to meet about 80 percent of its needs.

“North Korea generates only 3.6 million kilowatts per year on average and it needs 20 million kilowatts to solve the electricity shortage,” he said.

Some 13 million kilowatts are needed to operate the country’s factories, institutes, and hospitals, he said, while around 7 million kilowatts are needed to supply the country’s educational and cultural facilities, as well as the population’s personal needs.

He said that at the current capacity it is “impossible” to improve the country’s economy.

The DPRK has disclosed energy production numbers here. Take them for what they are worth.

Here are previous posts on energy, electricity.

Read the full story here:
North Korea Seeking Electricity Supply from China
Radio Free Asia
2013-10-21

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Closed

China acts to curb DPRK oil imports

Sunday, October 20th, 2013

According to the Asahi Shimbun:

China is holding petroleum that was heading to North Korea from Iran in an apparent attempt by Beijing to maintain its control over Pyongyang, sources said.

According to Chinese sources, the petroleum was part of North Korea’s contract to import about 500,000 tons of condensate, a light oil, from Iran. North Korea, seeking to diversify its energy sources, started discussions on the deal last year.

The agreement was reached with the cooperation of a major Chinese state-run petroleum company.

The condensate is believed to have been shipped from Iran over a number of occasions on tankers registered to a third nation. But Chinese authorities ordered the tankers to stop when they reached the Chinese coast in the Yellow Sea this spring.

The ships were then towed to ports in Dalian, Liaoning province, and Qingdao, Shandong province. Sources said the condensate remains in those ports, which have restricted access to outsiders.

China is believed to have asked North Korea to pay about $2 million (about 196 million yen) for storage expenses.

“Once China realized that North Korea was beginning to depend on Iran for petroleum, China began using various measures to remain engaged so it can maintain its influence over North Korea,” a diplomatic source knowledgeable about relations between China and North Korea said.

Under the North Korea-Iran contract, Pyongyang is to pay Tehran for the condensate, but the condensate itself must be first sent to a Chinese state-run petroleum company.

“Because North Korea does not have the most advanced refineries, it had to ask China to refine the condensate,” a source in the petroleum industry said.

It is unclear what legal basis China is using for holding up the shipments because condensate and other petroleum products needed for daily living are not banned under U.N. economic sanctions imposed against North Korea.

However, one source involved in the transaction said, “As part of the economic sanctions that were imposed against military actions taken by North Korea, inspections were carried out by Chinese authorities, which asked that the petroleum be kept at the port.”

…

Until now, China is said to have provided about 80 percent of the petroleum used in North Korea. The main means of transport were through a pipeline that runs along the Yalu River between the border of the two nations as well as by ship.

According to Chinese customs statistics, the export volume was about 520,000 tons a year.

…

“Not only has a ban on petroleum export shipments been imposed by China, but the total import volume through the pipeline has also been reduced to one-third the level of the same period of the previous year,” a source involved in trade between China and North Korea was told by a North Korean government source in September.

China remains North Korea’s biggest backer, even with the contract with Iran.

Read the full story here:
China holding up shipment of Iranian petroleum to North Korea
Asahi Shimbun
Koichiro Ishida
2013-10-20

Posted in China, Energy, Gasoline, International trade, Iran, Oil, Sea shipping, Trade Statistics, Transportation | Comments Closed

DPRK Won exchange rate data

Friday, October 18th, 2013

According to the JoongAng Ilbo:

The value of the North Korean won has plummeted against the Chinese yuan in the last three years, hit by a continual series of crises, a South Korean ruling party lawmaker said.

Representative Yoon Sang-hyun of the Saenuri Party, a member of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, said at a parliamentary hearing Wednesday, “Through some sources in North Korea and from the government, we have analyzed the fluctuation of the North Korean currency for the last three years.

“The value of the Chinese yuan has surged in North Korean territory amidst a series of crises: military provocations, power succession and natural disasters,” Yoon said.

According to Yoon, the exchange rate of North Korean currency on the black market was around 400 won ($0.38) to the Chinese yuan between January and September 2011. But it rose to 560 won against the yuan in October 2011, 640 won in November and 850 won in December. That was a precarious time, Yoon says, with rumors that leader Kim Jong-il was sick. On Dec. 17, 2011, Kim died and was succeeded by his youngest son, Kim Jong-un.

In July and August 2012, when heavy rainfall battered North Korea, the won weakened more, reaching 1,000 won against the yuan. In December 2012, when North Korea successfully launched a long-range missile, its currency dipped to 1,350 won to the yuan from 1,250 won in November.

Ahead of its third underground nuclear weapons test on Feb. 12 of this year, the won fell close to 1,450 won against the yuan, the lowest level ever.

The currency became stronger when Pyongyang went off its highest level of military readiness last May, and its value returned to 1,200 won to the yuan. The won is currently trading at around 1,250 won against the yuan, Yoon said. The yuan has appreciated 171.7 percent against the won from two years ago.

“In 2009, when North Korean botched its currency renomination, anxiety spread that the local currency would become ‘paper money,’?” Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at the Sejong Institute in South Korea, said. “Officials in North Korea prefer to receive bribes in yuan, not in won.

“When tensions escalate in North Korea, demand for the more stable yuan increases,” Cheong said. “And whenever North Korea makes an attack or other kind of provocation, the Chinese government tightens up procedures for visas and customs regulations on North Korean products.

That makes trade with China more difficult, resulting in a shrinkage in the supply of yuan into the country.”

Representative Yoon said the popularity of the yuan in North Korea also suggests more capitalist activity going on. “In a society that strictly bans the circulation of foreign currency, a wide range of individual transactions using a foreign currency is happening,” Yoon said.

“In some border regions with China, commercial transactions are increasing. The so-called Yuanization phenomenon – in which the yuan replaces a local currency – is happening in North Korea.”

Analysts in Seoul say the influence of China on the North Korean economy is ever expanding. “A strong yuan in North Korea indicates the regime is heavily dependent on the Chinese currency,” Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean affairs at Dongguk University, said. “That means that if China imposes economic sanctions on the regime, it would be a big blow to its economy.”

“As North Korea has no credit policies or system for financial transaction, residents are dependent on foreign currency for commercial activities,” Yoon said.

“As provocations by North Korea are putting its economy at risk, North Korea should stop all provocations, restore the value of its weak currency and stabilize its market.”

The Daily NK tracks the exchange rate of the DPRK won here.

Read the full story here:
North’s won tumbled against yuan, says Rep
JoongAng Ilbo
Kim Kyung-jin
2013-10-18

Posted in Banking, Black markets, Finance, Fiscal & monetary policy, International trade | Comments Closed

Evaluation of Kim Jong Un’s first two years: The rise in construction of sports and entertainment facilities and exports to China

Wednesday, October 16th, 2013

Institute for Far Eastern Studies (IFES)
2013-10-16

The first chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, took office two years ago. Since then, construction of sports and entertainment facilities are reported to have increased considerably. According to the South Korean Ministry of Unification, North Korea’s Pyongyang Folk Park (September 2012), Taesongsan General Hospital (March 2013), and Haedanghwa Service Complex (April 2013) were recently completed. Since the launch of the Kim Jong Un regime, the Masik Pass Ski Resort and other similar sports facilities have been undertaken and are nearing completion.

In addition, the People’s Theatre (April 2012), Rungna People’s Pleasure Ground (opened in July 2012), Sunrise Restaurant (September 2012), and Unification Street Center (September 2012) have been recently renovated. In addition, the Mirim Riding Club, Pyongyang Gymnasium, Munsu Wading Pool, Aprok (Yalu) River Amusement park, Karma Hotel, and New Day Hotel and other hotels around Pyongyang are currently under renovation and repair. Entertainment and sports facilities around other major cities are being constructed as well. Furthermore, after the successful launch of Kwangmyongsong 3-2 last December, North Korea has begun to construct major residential complexes for scientists, granting them preferential housing in Unha scientist residence, Kim Il Sung University educator residence, and Pyongsong residence. Other large-scale housing projects are also reported to be under development.

In the wake of major celebrations in North Korea — such as the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung and 60-year anniversary of the “Victory in the Fatherland Liberation War” — a large memorial was erected and existing facilities were repaired. Specifically, the Korean People’s Army Exhibition of Arms and Equipment, Kumsusan Memorial Palace, War Victory Monument, and the Cemetery of the Fallen Fighters of the KPA were refurbished.

Unlike the large-scale construction of sports and entertainment facilities, new constructions of harbors, roads, power plants and other social overhead capital (SOC) is reported to be in decline.

Last August, North Korea’s trade with China has shown an 8 percent increase in exports and 6 percent decrease in imports, following a similar trend from last year. According to the South Korean Ministry of Unification, North Korea’s current trade volume with China is reported to be 4 billion USD (1.89 billion USD in exports and 2.2 billion USD in imports).

North Korea’s most popular export items are mineral resources such anthracite, coal, and iron ore. In the case of clothing products — which are mostly consigned processing — there has been an increase of 42 percent (200 million USD) against the previous year. Major categories of imports from China are crude oil, food, and fertilizers. Compared to the previous year, food imports have declined 57 percent (17.4 million tons), and fertilizer and crude oil imports are also showing gradual reduction at 27 percent (18.3 million tons) and 6 percent (34.6 million tons), respectively.

Posted in Coal, Construction, Energy, Football (soccer), Hoteling, International trade, Mining/Minerals, Real estate, Sports, Statistics, Tourism, Trade Statistics | Comments Closed

Overseas restaurant earnings

Tuesday, October 15th, 2013

According to the Washington Free Beacon:

North Korea’s global network of state-run restaurants, most in China, are dens of espionage and sites of operations involving tens of thousands of overseas North Koreans who send the regime in Pyongyang more than $100 million in hard currency annually, according to U.S. and western intelligence officials.

In Asia alone, the U.S. government has identified 60 restaurants ranging from Nepal to Cambodia to Dandong, China – located along the Yalu River separating China from North Korea.

Additionally, North Korea has dispatched up to 40,000 guest workers abroad. The workers are forced to live in slave-like conditions and provide a large portion of their funds to the communist government, said officials who discussed intelligence on the operations on condition of anonymity.

North Korea’s restaurants have become important sources of currency. The restaurants make annual payments to Pyongyang of between $10,000 and $30,000, according to defectors from North Korea with direct knowledge.

From the 60 restaurants in Asia—including 44 in China, one each in Bangladesh, Burma, Malaysia, Nepal, Indonesia, and Laos, and five each in Cambodia and Vietnam—up to $1.8 million is remitted to Pyongyang.

Under Kim Jong-Il, Kim Jong-Un’s predecessor and father, all North Korean foreign intelligence stations were directed to procure their own funds. “The Reconnaissance General Bureau has been using its North Korean restaurants in Beijing to finance its operations,” one defector said.

The North Koreans operate 11 restaurants in the Chinese capital; six in Shanghai and six in Dandong near North Korea.

Many of the restaurants feature a traditional cold noodle dish and include song and dance numbers by North Korean waitresses and singers who intelligence officials say are also trained in the black arts of intelligence seduction.

The restaurant network is controlled by the North Korean military’s General Reconnaissance Bureau—specifically, Bureau 39, which is in charge of gathering hard currency for the regime. The Bureau is part of North Korea’s vast political police and intelligence system designed to keep the totalitarian communist regime of ruler Kim Jong-Un in power.

The General Reconnaissance Bureau is under Gen. O Kuk-Ryol, a National Defense Commission vice chairman, who has been directly linked by U.S. intelligence to North Korea’s production of counterfeit $100 bills so convincing they have been dubbed “supernotes.” The Treasury Department recent issued a new $100 bill with security features designed in part as a result of the North Korean counterfeiting.

The restaurants also have been linked to money laundering operations and other illicit activities by North Korea, whose agents in the past have been implicated in illegal drug trafficking.

The Pyongyang Koryo Restaurant in Dandong was opened in 2012 and is the largest franchise with more than 200 staff workers. It is located in a five story building on the Yalu River separating China from North Korea.

Another mission of the restaurants is to spy on South Korean travelers who frequent the restaurants. Defectors say waitresses at the eateries are trained in intelligence gathering with an emphasis on prying corporate secrets from business travelers.

The restaurants are also meeting places for North Korean intelligence officers and North Korean agents. Officials, businessmen, and overseas workers also frequent the restaurants to recruit targets for foreign intelligence services, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), China’s Ministry of State Security, and South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, as well as other spy agencies.

You can read the full story here:
North Korea’s Overseas Restaurants Used for Espionage and Gaining Hard Currency
Washington Free Beacon
Bill Gertz
2013-10-15

Posted in International trade, Restaurants | Comments Closed

Hyesan – Jilin bridge reopened

Monday, October 14th, 2013

Pictured above (Google Earth): The Hyesan – Jilin Bridge

According to Radio Free Asia:

A bridge across the Yalu River connecting northeastern North Korea with China has reopened after more than four months of repairs and reinforcement work, reviving trade and tourism in the area, sources in North Korea said.

Traders eager to sell their goods lined up on both sides of the bridge between Hyesan city in North Korea’s Ryanggang province and Changbai city in China’s Jilin province as traffic resumed on Thursday.

The 500-foot (150-meter) bridge, initially built in 1936 by the Japanese and renovated in 1985, has been reinforced to accommodate trucks weighing up to 30 tons, double the earlier limit.

It had been closed since May, blocking trade and sending prices of consumer goods soaring at local markets in Hyesan, a source in Ryanggang province said.

Thursday’s reopening of the bridge, one of at least three spanning the Yalu River, took place on the anniversary of the ruling North Korean Workers’ Party without much fanfare, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“The Yalu River Friendship Bridge reopened officially at 10:00 a.m…. There was no special event or meeting for an opening ceremony,” the source told RFA’s Korean Service.

Another source in the province speaking on condition of anonymity said vehicles bound for China loaded with logs and minerals had lined up near the bridge early that morning in anticipation of a rumored reopening.

On the other side of the river in Changbai, trucks carrying Chinese food items and daily necessities had queued up to cross into North Korea, the source said.

The bridge is also a key gateway for Chinese tourists traveling to North Korea’s famed Mount Baekdu, a popular sightseeing destination.

During the bridge’s closure, local authorities in Ryanggang had lost valuable foreign exchange earnings because tours to the mountain had been limited and export of logs and minerals had stopped.

Sources said that although many locals were relieved that trade would be resumed with the bridge no longer closed, others were concerned about the possibility of a sudden outflow of exports of local resources and goods across to China.

A more popular bridge along the Yalu River lies between China’s Dandong city and North Korea’s Sinuiju city.

Annual trade between North Korea and China, its closest diplomatic and trade ally, is worth about U.S. $6 billion. China also supplies nearly all of North Korea’s energy needs.

Read the full story here:
Bridge Across China-North Korea Border River Reopened
Radio Free Asia
2013-10-14

Posted in Automobiles, China, International trade, Transportation | Comments Closed

ROK report claims DPRK luxury imports up

Monday, October 14th, 2013

According to Yonhap:

According to Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the ruling Saenuri Party, imports of luxury goods reached US$645.8 million last year, up sharply from an annual import average of around $300 million tallied under the current leader’s father Kim Jong-il.

…

Citing data provided by the government ahead of the parliamentary audit on the Ministry of Unification, the lawmaker said the isolationist country imported such non-essential goods as pets, feed for such animals, and various European and U.S.-made bath, sauna and maternity products.

The report also showed a noticeable rise in imports of expensive musical instruments, cosmetic goods, handbags, leather products, watches, and mid-sized sedans made in Japan and China.

“The products were given as gifts to key figures in North Korean society to ensure their loyalty to the regime,” Yoon said. He claimed that handing out such gifts contrasted with the hardships felt by ordinary people.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said earlier in the month that North Korea remains one of the 34 countries in the world that require external assistance to properly feed their people.

It estimated that some 2.8 million “vulnerable” people in the communist country needed outside assistance at least until this year’s fall harvest.

The Saenuri lawmaker said that imports of wine, liquor, consumer electronics, fur products and expensive watches led the growth last year.

Imports of alcoholic beverages surpassed the $30 million mark, with electronics and watches reaching $37 million and $8.2 million, respectively, for the whole of last year, he said.

Read the full story here:
N. Korea’s luxury goods imports surge under Kim Jong-un leadership
Yonhap
2013-10-14

Posted in Food, International trade, RoK Ministry of Unification, South Korea, Statistics, Trade Statistics, UN Food and Agriculture Organization | Comments Closed

2nd annual China-DPRK Economic, Trade, Culture and Tourism Expo

Thursday, October 10th, 2013

UPDATE 1 (2013-10-15): Yonhap reports on the activities carried out at the expo:

North Korean companies participating in an annual trade fair with China signed a total of 93 preliminary deals worth US$1.6 billion at the event, China’s state media reported Tuesday.

North Korea and its economic lifeline, China, wrapped up the trade expo, the second of its kind, on Monday in the Chinese border city of Dandong with some 130 North Korean firms attending the five-day exhibition.

The North Korea-China Economic, Trade, Culture and Tourism Expo came as China has been deepening its economic ties with the North even though Beijing appears to have become increasingly frustrated with Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.

During the trade fair, preliminary investment deals worth $510 million and export deals worth $1.09 billion were signed, the official China News Service reported.

North Korea and China held the inaugural trade fair last year, with $1.26 billion worth of preliminary deals signed.

In the first eight months of this year, two-way trade between North Korea and China stood at $4.09 billion, compared with $4.1 billion for the same period last year, South Korean government data showed.

ORIGINAL POST (2013-10-10): According to Yonhap:

An annual trade fair between North Korea and China kicked off in the Chinese border city of Dandong on Thursday, with some 130 North Korean firms attending the five-day exhibition, organizers said.

The North Korea-China Economic, Trade, Culture and Tourism Expo, the second of its kind, comes as China is deepening its economic ties with the North even though Beijing appears to have become increasingly frustrated with Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.

About 500 North Koreans, including a 115-member propaganda troupe, joined the exhibition that features 700 booths for products ranging from foods and garments to mining and machinery equipment, according to the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), which organized the event.

Of the booths, about 200 were allocated to buyers from Pakistan, Malaysia, India, Russia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, a Dandong branch of the CCPIT said.

North Korea and China held the inaugural trade fair last year, with US$1.26 billion worth of preliminary deals signed.

According to Xinhua:

The second China-DPRK economic, trade, culture and tourism expo has opened in the border city of Dandong in Northeast China’s Liaoning province.

The DPRK’s National Folk Art Troupe performed its ethnic dances at the opening ceremony on Thursday. A 500-member delegation from the DPRK is attending the expo which lasts from Thursday to Monday.

The expo is by far the largest foreign economic and trade event for the DPRK. And more than 90 percent of the country’s foreign trade companies have sent their representatives. Meanwhile there are over 10,000 traders from China.

The expo also attracts companies from Malaysia and Thailand. There are 16 events including promotion of China-DPRK commodities, and DPRK tourism. The DPRK’s investment policies are also to be introduced to attract investors.

The first such expo was held in 2012 with 72 agreements of cooperation signed. They have a combined value of over 1 billion US dollars.

According to KCNA:

The 2nd DPRK-China Economic, Trade, Cultural and Tourism EXPO opened on Thursday with due ceremony in Dandong, China.

Colorful events are to be held during the EXPO including trade fair, fine art exhibition, exhibition of photos on tourism and art performance.

Present at the ceremony were officials of the party and government of Liaoning Province and the city and those in the field of culture, economy and trade including Bing Zhigang, vice-governor of the province, citizens in Dandong, Liu Hongcai, Chinese ambassador to the DPRK, and his embassy members and diplomatic envoys of different countries to the DPRK.

Also present there were members of the delegation of the 2nd DPRK-China Economic, Trade, Cultural and Tourism EXPO led by Hong Kil Nam, vice-chairman of North Phyongan Provincial People’s Committee, Kim Kwang Hun, DPRK consul general to Shenyang, and Choe Un Bok, chairperson of the General Association of Koreans in China.

An opening speech was made there, which was followed by congratulatory speeches.

The speakers said that the EXPO will be a good opportunity to swap the successes and experience gained in various fields and boost the cooperation between the two countries.

They expressed the conviction that it will contribute to deepening the mutual understanding and trust and promoting the friendly and cooperative relations between the peoples of the two countries.

An art performance was given by the National Folk Art Troupe on the same day.

Prior to this, a reception was given for the participants of the Expo.

Xinhua also published this helpful advice for North Korean policy makers:

China-DPRK economic cooperation is important for maintaining peace and stability in Northeast Asia. China has a long history of investment in the DPRK, and is the country’s biggest trade partner. So what’s it like to do business in the DPRK?

Economic cooperation between China and the DPRK has strengthened as tons of goods are coming in and out the border each day. And the scale of their trade and investment has expanded over the past few decades. But the rapidly developing China-DPRK economic relations have certain problems that need to be solved. Many concerns have been raised in regards to the risk factor when investing in the country.

Today, China’s investment in the DPRK is mainly concentrated on minerals and other strategic resources. And many investors claimed that the main difficulties when they set up businesses in the DPRK is to cope with the country’s frequent policy changes.

Many Chinese companies and manufacturers have come to the exhibition hall for trade talks with the DPRK, and to have a better understanding of the country in which they have invested or intend to invest. The best way to find out the business environment there is to speak with someone who has been there long enough.

“You need to have certain knowledge about the rules and regulations in the DPRK before conducting investments there. A thorough business plan is a good start, and it’s crucial to have a business partner from the DPRK with a strong background,” said Ma Pengxiu, general manager of Dandong Hantong Trading company.

Some Chinese companies that have invested in the DPRK reportedly suffered losses, for which they blame the investment environment in that country. It’s true that enterprises cannot be certain of making profits, no matter which country they invest in they need to cope with local laws and regulations to avoid risks. But it’s also true that the DPRK has to improve its investment environment and make its policies more stable.

“There were companies and individuals who have experienced failures in the investments in the DPRK, so investors in these days are more concerned about the relevant protections from the DPRK side; my advise is to protect your business with a written wontract always,” said Ma.

Needless to say the DPRK delegation at the EXPO this year was well prepared and ambitious in seeking cooperation opportunities with the outside world. The country is keen on drawing investments to beef up its industries. In the meantime the DPRK still needs to take measures to ensure a stable business environment to make it easier for investors to thrive in the country.

Here is a link to the inaugural trade fair post.

Read the full stories here:
N. Korea, China kick off annual trade fair
Yonhap
2013-10-10

2nd China-DPRK Expo opens in Dandong
Xinhua
2013-10-11

Posted in China, China-DPRK Trade Expo, Economic reform, Foreign direct investment, International trade, Statistics, Trade Statistics, Uncategorized | Comments Closed

New Yalu/Amnok River bridge in south-west Dandong (UPDATED)

Thursday, October 10th, 2013

Pictured above (Google Earth): The new Yalu/Amnok River bridge under construction

UPDATE 13 (2014-10-31): Opening of new NK-China bridge delayed indefinitely. According to the Daily NK:

The planned opening of the bridge connecting Dandong in Liaoning Province, China with Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province in North Korea has been delayed indefinitely, according a report by China’s state-run Global Times on October 31st.

According to the report, North Korea has not followed the business plan stipulating that it construct access roads to the bridge, and as such, its opening remains on hold. North Korea was charged with construction on access roads for the bridge, but work at the site has yet to begin, in fact, the area continues to be nothing but swathes of farmland.

On the ground in Dandong, the report conveyed the disappointment by many in the area, “This new bridge that was going to be so magnificently built is finished on one side, and a vegetable plot on the North Korean end.” Many traders and people purchasing homes and opening stores in the area were anticipating to benefit from increased commerce between the two cities, which account for 70% of bilateral trade, after the bridge’s completion.

The construction of the new bridge over the Amrok [Yalu] River, to replace the aging “Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge,” was officially proposed by China’s former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wu Dawei, when he visited North Korea in 2007. However, it was not until October 2009 that former Premier Wen Jiabao visited North Korea to make the deal official, for which China agreed to take on the construction costs. The two countries then finalized plans for the project in February 2010, with China continually pushing for construction to begin in October, only to see them finally begin in December that year after a series of delays.

Over the past four years of construction, China accelerated efforts to build a four-lane highway and other advanced features amounting to 2.22 billion RMB [approximately 360 million USD].

As to why the project has not moved forward despite China’s completion of its end of the deal, “North Korea demanded more investment from China for the connecting roads and has done no construction,” the report stated.

Daily NK previously reported in July about the advanced construction efforts on the Chinese side and predicted delays in the bridge’s opening due to failure by North Korea to uphold its end of the contract.

The story is not completely accurate, however, because the North Koreans have at least begun the process of building a road to connect the bridge to Sinuiju. According to Google Earth satellite imagery dated 2014-6-9 we can see the beginning of road construction:

Here is more in the Hankyoreh.

UPDATE 12 (2014-7-18): The Institute for Far Eastern Studies (IFES) offers an explanation for the lack of progress on the DPRK side of the bridge:

New Amnok (Yalu) River Bridge – Present Conditions and Future Outlook

According to recent reports, the New Amnok (Yalu) River Bridge may not be finished by its projected date of September 2014 due to delays in the construction of roads and customs facilities.

The bridge, which will connect the North Korean city of Sinuiju with the Chinese city of Dandong in Liaoning Province, has advanced into the final stages of construction following the recent completion of the control tower and the bridge deck.

When the bridge is completed, the existing Amnok River Bridge (located approximately 10km away from the new bridge) will be restricted to railroad traffic only, and general road traffic to-and-from North Korea and China will be rerouted to the new bridge.

The existing Amnok River Bridge has been cited as a bottleneck for the blooming trade industry between North Korea and China for several reasons. The bridge, built in 1911, accommodates both a railway and roadway, but has only one lane. Furthermore, its old age has sparked safety concerns; trucks weighing over 20 tons have been prohibited from using the bridge.

Reportedly, China has begun construction on a new commerce zone costing 2 billion RMB (330 billion KRW) that will connect with the New Amnok River Bridge from the Chinese side.

The new commerce zone is set to be built on a 380 thousand square-meter plot of land and will include various services such as border checkpoints, customs, quarantine facilities, and immigration. Business facilities such as hotels, shopping centers and other residential and commercial buildings are also expected to be built in this area.

Once construction finishes and operations begin, China is expecting that the new area will accommodate for the passage of up to twenty thousand cars and fifty thousand people per day. It is also predicted that the new trade zone will be responsible for up to 60 percent of the total trade volume passing between the two countries.

However, on the North Korean side, it appears that construction has yet to begin on any of the necessary immigration facilities such as checkpoints and customs.

It has been reported that since construction of the New Amnok (Yalu) River Bridge began in 2010, abrupt changes in the state of affairs and weakening international ties between the two countries has left North Korea without a financier. North Korea had originally projected total construction and operation costs of 20 million USD (approx. 20 billion KRW), but has yet to secure the money from foreign investors.

In the past, the Chinese government persuaded North Korea into constructing the New Amnok (Yalu) River Bridge, but appears to have lost its previous fervor.

Back in 2007, China’s former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wu Dawei, proposed the construction of the new bridge under the condition that China will be responsible for the entirety of construction costs. In October 2009, former Premier Wen Jiabao visited North Korea and finalized the agreement.

From the outset, plans for the creation of the New Amnok River Bridge were not drawn up by North Korea, but rather strongly demanded by the regional governments in China’s Liaoning province and Dandong city. North Korea set its focus on the repair of the original existing Amnok River Bridge in order to set a fixed limit on the exchange of personnel and materials, citing regime stability as a reason. However, China persisted, promising to provide financial support for the construction of not only a new bridge, but also for customs facilities, immigration, and a highway connecting the bridge to Pyongyang.

At first, China was actively engaged in supplying North Korea with the financial resources necessary for construction. However, with the increase in nuclear tests, missile launches and increasingly negative internal public opinion, as well as the execution of Chinese ally Jang Song Thaek, China seems to have slowed the pace and now carefully monitors its involvement with North Korea.

In order to protect its domestic and foreign image, it is expected that China will complete construction of the infrastructure on their side of the New Amnok River Bridge within the year. China is also expected to offer less support to North Korea, showing an increasingly passive response.

According to recent reports, North Korea is currently in the process of preparing the customs and immigration facilities in Sinuiju—connected to the existing Amnok River Bridge—to handle procedures after construction of the new bridge is finished. The existing facilities are expected to be used due to North Korea’s inability to finish construction of the new immigration facilities and other connecting roads on time.

North Korea’s Central News Agency (KCNA) introduced the New Amnok River Bridge on a television program in August 2013, boasting that over 3,000 lorries and cargo ships will pass over and under the bridge per day. In the program, it is said that the bridge will be completed by September 2014

UPDATE 11 (2014-7-2): The bridge opening is likely to be delayed (again). According to the Daily NK:

The planned opening of a large new bridge across the Yalu River connecting Dandong in Liaoning Province with Sinuiju is likely to be delayed, Daily NK has learned. The cause of the delay is thought to be North Korea’s failure to make good on its contractual obligations.

“The Chosun side took on the job of constructing the roads, but they are making painfully slow work of it. Because the roads are still not finished, people are wondering whether their initial aim of increasing trade volumes is on its way down the drain,” a source close to the project told Daily NK on the 1st.

“China provided a lot of materials and machinery to the North, but there is a story that this machinery was sent for use on other projects rather than for the bridge construction. The Chinese traders who did harbor high hopes for [economic] opening brought on by the bridge are showing their disappointment more and more,” the source explained.

The partially complete New Amrok [Yalu] River Bridge is designed to connect Langtou new city with south Sinuiju at a total cost of 2.22 billion RMB (approximately 357 million USD). It lies 8 km downstream from the ageing “Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge” (formerly the Amrok [Yalu] River Bridge).

The old bridge is currently the only one that connects the two cities, but, built in 1943, it is wholly unfit for purpose. Trucks that weigh more than 20 tons are not allowed on it due to safety concerns, and it also has just one lane, which restricts trade volumes. Traders had hoped that the new bridge would speed up commerce between the two cities, which account for 70% of bilateral trade despite these structural limitations.

The construction of the new bridge was officially proposed by China’s former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wu Dawei, when he visited North Korea in 2007. However, it was not until October 2009 that former Premier Wen Jiabao visited Pyongyang and sealed the deal, under which China agreed to foot the bill for construction. The two countries then finalized plans for the project in February 2010, and the groundbreaking ceremony was held in December that year.

The Chinese side has demonstrated its intent to see the completion of the four-lane bridge, with its accompanying management, security and inspection infrastructure.

“In accordance with the plan, China has already got a customs office in place to administer the flow of goods over the bridge,” the source revealed. “But the North has slowed right down, and the talk of trade expansion from before has gone away.”

This declining enthusiasm is tangible in the property market in Langtou, the region of Dandong that ought to benefit the most from bilateral economic activity across the new bridge. “Apartment prices remain where they were three years ago, at roughly 4000 Yuan per pyeong,” explained the source. Pyeong is a Korean unit of measuring area, and amounts to 3.305785m².

“The number of people wanting to learn Korean in Dandong is still the same,” he admitted, “but that’s only because they want to watch Korean dramas. They have already given up on the idea of booming trade with North Korea since they saw those who had been successful going to the wall after the execution of Jang Song Taek.”

In addition to problems with the bridge, Daily NK established in May that almost no progress has been made on the development of two Special Economic Zones in the Sinuiju area (see linked article).

UPDATE 10 (2014-1-14): Xinhua reports the bridge will open in 2014:

A new bridge over the river border between China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is expected to open this year, local authorities said on Tuesday.

About 80 percent of work on the Yalu River Bridge is complete, according to the Transport Department of northeast China’s Liaoning Province.

Construction began on the 3 km bridge at the end of 2010, and will cost 2.22 billion yuan (356 million U.S. dollars).

A joint project between the two countries, the bridge will have four two-way lanes upon completion, according to an agreement signed in February 2010. The new route is expected to boost communication and economic cooperation.

The only bridge connecting the nations was built in 1937. Trucks weighing more than 20 tonnes are not allowed on the one-way bridge, considerably restricting trade volume.

UPDATE 9 (2013-11-8): Yonhap releases a photo of the bridge nearing completion:

UPDATE 8 (2013-10-14): According to the Global Times:

A new bridge will link China and the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) by 2014 and greatly boost exchange and trade between the two countries, officials said Monday.

A new border trade complex, complete with customs services, border control and quarantine services, as well as office buildings, hotels and markets will also be operational by 2014, according to Shi Guang, mayor of Dandong city, where the bridge is located.

The whole complex will cover 38 hectares and cost two billion yuan (325.8 million USdollars) to build, Shi said.

The new bridge is 10 kilometers down the Yalu river from the old bridge, which was built in 1937 and has been sole major passage on the China-DPRK border.

The two governments agreed to build the new bridge in early 2010. It will have four lanes and a span of about three kilometers.

The new facilities will be able to handle as many as 20,000 vehicles and 50,000 people a day and Dandong authorities expect that businesses done at the trade complex will account for 60 percent of China-DPRK trade.

UPDATE 7 (2013-10-10): The Institute for Far Eastern Studies (IFES) offers some new information:

The construction of the New Yalu River Bridge, the new suspension bridge over the Yalu River, connecting China’s Dandong city (Liaoning Province) and North Korea’s Sinuiju city (North Pyongan Province) is in its final stages.

Currently, the volume of trade between Sinuiju and Dandong is heavy, and the Yalu River Railway Bridge is saddled with transporting goods. It is hoped that the new bridge will help ease that burden. Several hundred workers are involved in its construction.

According to one Dandong resident, “Despite North Korea’s nuclear test and China’s decision to impose sanctions against the North, construction of the New Yalu River Bridge has been relentless.” The new bridge is considered as an important symbol of Sino-DPRK economic cooperation. Its construction is believed to be well on track.

The total project cost of the construction is estimated to be 2.22 billion CYN (about 390 billion KRW or 3.6 million USD). China is covering the bridge’s construction costs and has reportedly introduced a variety of new technologies to improve the precision and safety of the structure. Once completed, the bridge will be 3 km in length, with the height of its two pylons at 197 meters and the distance between pylons to be about 636 meters.

Travel from Pyongyang to Dandong currently takes 4 hours; that time is expected to be cut in half as the new suspension bridge is located 8 km downstream from the existing railway bridge.

If the construction progresses smoothly, the bridge should open for operation by July 2014. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on August 23 that the new bridge should accommodate over 3,000 55-tonne freight cars per day, and 3,000-tonne ships will be able to pass under the bridge.

Along with the new bridge, China and North Korea are also engaged in joint development of a new district in Dandong and the Hwanggumpyong Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Despite the lingering concerns over the development of these areas after the death of former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, the development has reportedly continued uninterrupted.

Despite the continued international and other sanctions against North Korea, the development of Hwanggumpyeong SEZ is speculated to pick up speed after the completion of the bridge. The Hwanggumpyeong SEZ is a project that North Korea put forth in response to the “May 24 Sanctions” imposed by the South Korean government after the sinking of ROKS Cheonan. These sanctions essentially had brought an end to all inter-Korean economic cooperation and exchanges (with the exception of the operations at the Kaesong Industrial Complex).

Last September, a groundbreaking ceremony for the administrative building in the Hwanggumpyeong SEZ was held. Since then a customs building, security facilities, management office, street lights, and transport inspection office are reported to have been built or are currently under construction.

UPDATE 6 (2013-8-23): New KCTV footage of the bridge can be seen here:

UPDATE 5 (2013-6-4): I wrote an update on the construction of the bridge at NK News.

UPDATE 4 (2012-11-7): The China Daily’s English-language Dandong page reports on the status of the bridge:

Construction on the new bridge, with an investment of 2.22 billion yuan, began at the end of 2011. According to the Dandong government, the main structure of the bridge has been completed. It is expected to become operational in July 2014.

UPDATE 3 (2011-6-25): Adam Cathcart took some pictures of the new bridge construction–so it is progressing!

UPDATE 2 (2011-2-2): For some time I have been trying to track down the location of the proposed new Yalu River bridge which will connect the DPRK and China. Thanks to a story in the Daily NK, I was able to map it out on Google Earth:

Pictured above: Location of the proposed Yalu Bridge (Google Earth) [UPDATE-The bridge was ultimately moved from this location]

According to the Daily NK:

According to someone inside the construction company responsible for the bridge’s development, “The development of Xinchengqu has been on the drawing board for two years. This time, the construction of the New River Yalu Bridge was confirmed between China and North Korea. This is a very good chance for us, from now on Xinchengqu will become the center of China-North Korea trade.

According to Dandong’s urban development plan, the bridge will connect Busan-Seoul-Pyongyang-Dandong and Beijing in the future, implying that future trade and cooperation between a reunited Korea and China is being taken into account.

China is providing the construction costs for the New Yalu River Bridge; an estimated one billion Yuan (approximately $145 million).

This particular location is interesting because it completely bypasses the city and county of Sinuiju–where earlier reports (below) described its location. The bridge actually crosses from China into Sopuk-ri, Ryongchon County (서북리, 룡천군)—in the middle of nowhere. There is absolutely no infrastructure at this location for administering trade between the DPRK, China, and prospectively South Korea, so it will all need to be built from scratch or moved from Sinuiju. Either way, this is bad news for Sinuiju which today benefits financially as both the capital of North Pyongan Province and as the gateway for the majority of trade between the DPRK and China. It looks like Ryongchon may be taking some of their business!

In addition, the North Koreans have been widening the Sinuiju highway and “beautifying” all of the surrounding residential areas in anticipation of greater loads of traffic coming from China. See more about this here. This could all be for naught if the Chinese end up building a trade artery south of all this construction!

UPDATE 1 (2010-12-31): (KCNA h/t Aidan Foster-Carter) The ceremony did take place to mark the launch of the bridge’s construction:

Pyongyang, December 31 (KCNA) — A ground-breaking ceremony for a DPRK-China bridge across the River Amnok took place in Dandong City, China, on Friday.

Present there from the DPRK side were its government delegation headed by Kim Chang Ryong, minister of Land and Environmental Conservation, and from the Chinese side Li Shenglin, minister of Transport, Hu Zhengyue, assistant to Foreign Minister, and Chen Zhenggao, governor of the Liaoning Provincial People’s Government, and other officials concerned of the central and local governments of China.

Speeches were made by Kim Chang Ryong, Kim Song Gi, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and Choe Jong Gon, chairman of the North Phyongan Provincial People’s Committee, from the DPRK side and Li Shenglin, Hu Zhengyue, and Chen Zhenggao from the Chinese side.

They said that two rounds of General Secretary Kim Jong Il’s visit to China this year marked historic events of epoch-making significance in developing the DPRK-China friendship on a fresh high stage.

They expressed belief that the bridge would make a contribution to demonstrating once again the great vitality and invincible might of the DPRK-China friendship steadily growing stronger.

The bridge will be successfully built as a symbol of the DPRK-China friendship and a structure of the two peoples, they added.

Then followed a ceremony of the ground-breaking for the project.

The Ministry of Transport, the Liaoning Provincial Committee of the Communist Party and the Liaoning Provincial People’s Government of China arranged a reception in connection with the ceremony.

ORIGINAL POST (2010-12-28): According to Daily NK:

It was reported that there will be a ceremony to celebrate the start of construction of the New Yalu River Bridge linking Shinuiju and Dandong, China, before the end of the year.

Yonhap News yesterday quoted Shenyang and Dandong sources saying that both the North Korean and Chinese authorities decided to hold the ceremony this year and have started preparing for the event.

The source in Dandong said, “Instructions that the start of the bridge construction must not slip to next year were handed down from the Chinese government last week, so the governments of Dandong City and Liaoning Province urgently are trying to set a date. It will likely happen the 30th or 31st.”

The source also explained the reason why the Chinese government is hurrying to start the construction, which was supposed to start early next year. “Both China and North Korea intend to show observers domestically and internationally they have the will to construct the bridge.”

In Langtou, Dandong, where one end of the bridge will be built, a construction board has been set up and says the New Yalu River Bridge will connect to Jangseo in the southern part of Shinuiju.

China and North Korea agreed to construct the bridge in October 2009, and in February, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Korea, Pak Gil Yon, and Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Hailong signed the agreement in Dandong, China.

Dandong City had announced plans to start construction of the bridge in October, but it has been delayed for uncertain reasons. It was rumored there was conflict over the construction of the bridge because North Korea had requested additional aid from the Chinese government.

Researcher Jeon Byung Gon of the Korea Institute for National Unification said in a telephone interview with The Daily NK that, “The ceremonial ground-breaking will be a chance to promote the friendship between China and North Korea again.”

Researcher Jeon explained that, “So far, there have been several impediments to trade such as quotas, outdated facilities for transportation, both countries’ border management, etc. However, when the New Yalu River Bridge is constructed, such limitations can be resolved and trade between China and North Korea can be revitalized.”

He predicted, “Since they are trying to carry out the construction in a hurry, economic cooperation and friendship relations between two countries will be taken to the next level.”

Also, from the Choso Ilbo:

A source in Dandong said Wednesday that North Korea and China will start construction of the bridge as early as Friday. The two sides agreed to build the bridge during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to North Korea in October last year, with work expected to start this October.

China insists on having the bridge connect the newly renovated area of southern Dandong and southern Sinuiju, but North Korea wanted it to cross over Wihwa Island in Apnok River and connect Dandong with the old part of Sinuiju. The North claimed the route preferred by China would necessitate building a long embankment but in fact seems to have been nervous that a direct link to Pyongyang would cause security concerns like making it easier for North Koreans to flee.

But the North seems to have caved in. A source said construction will begin in March but a groundbreaking ceremony will be held before the end of this year.

Meanwhile, transport of goods and products has picked up via the Hunchun- Rajin-Sonbong route as part of an economic cooperation project. Around 500 truckloads of coal from China’s Jilin Province were shipped out of Rajin-Sonbong Port on Dec. 7 and are being transported to Shanghai across the East and South seas.

Read the full stories here:
New Yalu Bridge Groundbreaking This Year
Daily NK
Mok Yong Jae
12/28/2010

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

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