Wirtschaftswunder: Waffen, Hacker, Zwangsarbeit: Das dunkle Geschäftsmodell hinter Nordkoreas Boom
Bittere Armut trifft auf Smartphone-Rausch: Nordkorea wächst nach langer Krise seit mehr als drei Jahren wieder – finanziert von Putins Ukraine-Krieg, Kryptodiebstählen und Gefängnisarbeit.
Seoul and Tokyo report heavy traffic in Pyongyang, with North Koreans immersed in smartphone usage and hailed taxis via apps. The capital of the isolated autocracy appears to have embraced digital modernity, flourishing rather than withering. Yet, the North Korean population remains desperately poor, with many fields still tilled by oxen.
Martyn Williams, a technology expert at the US think tank Stimson Center, observed six cashless payment systems and 24 smartphone brands during a guided visit to Pyongyang last year. According to Williams, these brands are all run by various trading companies that are eager to make money, using technology sourced from China. North Koreans are often forced to spend up to $500, whether in cash or government-issued currency certificates, to purchase goods at stores.
In fact, Williams encountered a fall guy for $2,000. Despite recent labeling by the "Wall Street Journal" as the "surprisingly successful economic story of the world," the mystery remains: where did the North Koreans suddenly acquire so much money, especially in foreign currency?
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
