This web page was launched in January 2006 and since then it has been supported entirely by myself and some tech-savvy friends who have been generous enough to help with programming, organization, and technical issues.
Your donation is much appreciated by all who have made NKeconWatch.com a vibrant and comprehensive source for information on the DPRK!
Best,
Curtis
This web page is intended as a research resource for those who are gathering and publishing information on North Korea. The editor of this site does not personally comment on many of the topics, unless the subject is something with which he has some first-hand experience.
This site focuses on the North Korean economy (broadly defined), and does not dwell on foreign policy, human rights, military affairs, or defections. These topics are thoroughly covered in other forums. In a centrally-planned, highly-politicized economy like North Korea’s, it is difficult to separate political and economic analysis, but in such cases where separation is not possible, the editor’s comments will be expressed through the positive analysis of the Public Choice and New Institutional schools of economics.
If you agree or disagree with anything posted here, or simply have something to add that enriches other readers’ perspectives on any issue, please post your comments on the website. The only thing the editor asks is that you post something intelligent and respectful. Include citations to back up your claim(s) if possible.
Five years down the line, the editor hopes this web site will be a popular source for discussion, research, publication, and general sharing of analysis on the North Korean economy.
Finally, the editor extends an open invitation to scholars and business developers who specialize in North Korea to send any materials you wish to be posted on this site (many have already done so). This will save the editor time in finding your particular publication on line and will guarantee it is seen by the broader community of those interested in North Korean affairs.
Please send materials, questions, and comments to the editor at NKeconWatch-(at)- gmail.com.
About the Editor:
Curtis Melvin works in Arlington, Virginia, at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, an organization which carries out a significant amount of research on entrepreneurship and institutional analysis in the developing world with an eye to understanding the institutional prerequisites that promote sustainable prosperity.
Curtis has been interested in communist/socialist societies in general since he had the opportunity to visit the Soviet Union and several Warsaw Pact countries in his youth. When traveling around the world in 1996 he picked up a Lonely Planet North East Asia guide book and got his first exposure to the DPRK. In 2000 he began studying the country in earnest. Thanks to opportunities offered by the Korean Friendship Association, he was able to visit the DPRK in 2004 and 2005.
Curtis received his BBA in economics from the University of Georgia and MA in economics from George Mason University.
Launched in January 2006, North Korean Economy Watch (NKeconWatch) is intended as a research resource for business persons, policy makers, academics, journalists and others interested in the North Korean economy (broadly speaking).
Founder:
Curtis Melvin is a researcher at the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University and a contributor to 38 North.
Curtis enjoys traveling to developing nations. To date he has visited over 50 countries including China, Zimbabwe, Iran, North Korea, Turkmenistan, and Myanmar. Curtis also enjoys Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, in which he is a purple belt.
Curtis received his BBA in economics from the University of Georgia and his MA in economics from George Mason University. He is ABD in the econ department at Geroge Mason University.
Editor:
Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Stimson Center, working with the 38 North program and North Korean Economy Watch. He is also a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Pennsylvania, where he researches the history of social control in North Korea. He graduated from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in 2015 with an MA in international relations and international economics.
Benjamin enjoys reading and writing about totalitarianism and the intersection between political oppression and economics. He previously worked in development politics for the Swedish government. He is an avid listener of the North Korean Army Choir, and a passionate eater of most sorts of kimchi.
Categories
The category menu on the right hand side of the web page links to relevant articles listed in order of posting. The main categories are listed in alphabetical order, but the sub categories are listed under their relevant category heading.
This format might be confusing for new readers, so in instances where this is the case, please use the search box located at the top of the sidebar.
Additionally, confusion can arise over the proper romanization of Korean names. In most cases, the categories are listed using the North Korean style of romanization (for instance, the editor uses “Kaesong” rather than “Gaeseong”). However, when referencing another author’s work, the editor will leave in place the original author’s spelling.
Content
Content for this website is a combination of materials from outside sources and the editor’s own writings. If the editor uses or posts someone else’s work, full credit will be given (and links if possible) so that said material may be verified and referenced by others.
This site focuses primarily on economic and cultural aspects of North Korea. This site does not generally focus on human rights issues or the nuclear issue, though they will come up from time to time. Although these topics are important, they are thoroughly covered in other forums.
Disclaimers
First, the views expressed by Curtis Melvin on this web site are his alone and should not be interpreted to to be those of any of his associates.
Secondly, there is a Twitter page for NKeconWatch. While I am appreciative of this page, I have no connection with it. This person is impersonating me. Contacting or following that web page will not help you reach me. You can reach me at my personal Twitter account here or by email (see below).
Contributions
If you have specific knowledge which advances one of the topics being discussed in this forum, or you would like to put an item of interest to the readers of North Korean Economy Watch, the editor invites you to:
Special projects:
Google Earth North Korea– Compiling public maps, interviews, innovative analysis, and elbow grease, the editor of this site has also created the most comprehensive mapping of North Korea that publicly exists today. You can download it onto Google Earth here. The next installment will be published with 38 North at the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins SAIS.
