The North Korean economy seen by satellite: Estimates of national performance, regional gaps based on nighttime light

Kyoochul Kim

Journal of Asian Economics, 2022, vol. 78, issue C

Abstract: External estimates must be used to assess North Korea’s economy because Pyongyang authorities withhold economic statistics. The Bank of Korea’s figures are considered the most widely employed estimates. However, they have several limitations. This paper estimates North Korea’s economic growth over a more than 20-year period, by analyzing the nighttime lighting, as recorded by orbiting satellites. The data is more objective and reliable than other data used to evaluate the North Korean economy. It indicates steady growth after 2000, contradicting Bank of Korea estimates. The methodology also has the advantage of being able to gauge regional economic activity. Performance varied widely among regions, the result of internal factors such as market activities and external factors such as trade with China and economic cooperation with South Korea.

Keywords: North Korea’s economy; Satellite nighttime light; Regional economic gap; North Korea-China trade; Inter-Korean economic cooperation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: P27 P50 P52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:asieco:v:78:y:2022:i:c:s1049007821001342

DOI: 10.1016/j.asieco.2021.101405

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