Institute for Far Eastern Studies (IFES) In his 2016 New Year Speech, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced plans to build an economic powerhouse. Kim frequently used expressions such as, ‘priority to self-development,’ ‘concentration of efforts,’ ‘whole Party’, and the ‘whole state’ that placed great emphasis on economic development and improvement of people’s livelihood. … Continue reading Kim Jong Un’s new year message focuses on building an economic powerhouse