In recent years, North Korea has put greater emphasis on economic growth, resuming economic experimentation and putting in place new measures to try to attract foreign investment. More and more, Pyongyang seems to be placing its bets on developing Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to serve as the main engine of that desired growth. While an SEZ strategy is hardly new for the North, the establishment of new SEZ laws and specialized zone development plans seem to indicate a better understanding of what it takes to attract foreign investors. However, is this really the case? How is the current strategy different from attempts in the past? Given the current political environment, with Pyongyang committed to its byungjin strategy of dual economic and nuclear development, what prospects for success does a foreign-investment driven economic strategy truly have?

In a new USKI Special Report, Andray Abrahamian examines these key questions and more. Join us for the launch of this report on November 19, at the Bernstein-Offit Building at SAIS, Room 500, from 10am – 12pm. Seating is limited. Please RSVP below.

Download the report, “The ABCs of North Korea’s SEZs ^[1].”

# # #

Andray Abrahamian is the Executive Director of Choson Exchange, a Singapore-based non-profit focused on training North Koreans in economic policy, business and law in North Korea. Focusing on Korean peninsula political-economy, he has advised members of USFK, the US Department of State and South Korean government officials. He has given special lectures at Harvard’s Kennedy School, University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies and numerous DC-based research institutes. Andray lectured in the International Relations Department at Ulsan University, South Korea from 2006-2012. He is a Non-Resident Kelly Fellow at CSIS.