Under Kim Jong-un's rule with the keyword of "knowledge-based economy," North Korea is expected to place priorities on improving people's livelihood and to will take on more flexible policy decisions from 2013 when the next administrations in South Korea and the United States will be established. As such it is an inevitable option for North Korea to rebuild its economy and attract foreign investment. Against this backdrop, the administrations in South Korea and the United States should not pressure North Korea but rather wait and respond calmly until the policy lines of the Kim Jong-un regime on economic change and openness are clearer.
EAI Issue Briefing
