USC KSI's video: Why is North Korea s elite getting richer under sanctions John Park

A talk by Dr. John Park (Faculty Affiliate, Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Research Associate, MIT) on the topic: "Why is North Korea's elite getting richer under sanctions?" Amid increasing sanctions, North Korea's elites have prospered. What explains this puzzle? Drawing on interviews with former North Korean state trading company managers, Dr. John Park will highlight how the regime's accumulated learning in evading sanctions has created new commercial pathways. Increasing use of middlemen in China and Southeast Asia has enabled North Korean elites to procure and sell strategic goods by hiding in the open. The implications for the U.S.' approach to dealing with North Korea are profound, yet largely under-examined. This video was supported by the Core University Program for Korean Studies through the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and Korean Studies Promotion Service of the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS-2014-OLU-2250003).