5 Major Exports of North Korea To Other Countries

As a country that practiced a closed economy, not many have known about the main source of income in North Korea. In fact, the economic sanction that was imposed by many countries on North Korea has made it a lot worse for their economy to thrive.

If we were to look at the numbers, it was estimated that 34.4 percent of North Korea's income comes from mining and heavy industries, 31.3 percent from services, 21.8 percent from fishery and agriculture, 8.2 percent from construction, and many more.

ADVERT

Here we would like to share with you some of the goods that are being exported from North Korea legally or by the black market.

1. Coal

China is the country that uses the most coal in the world. Due to China being one of the major trade partners North Korea is among the countries that export the most coals to China and it was estimated that 25 percent of the coals exported to China come from North Korea.

In most countries, the coal mining industry is heavily regulated and requires the use of heavy and expensive machinery which will add up the cost even more. But in North Korea, most of the mining process is still being done using manpower since the labor is very cheap.

This explains why North Korea can export so many coals to China.

2. Missiles

North Korea as you probably know is a military country so it is not surprising that they are making weapons on a massive scale to export them to other countries. The sale of missiles did not only bring in millions of dollars to North Korea but also kept them making it for domestic use.

ADVERT

One of the countries believed to import missiles from North Korea is Iran, This is due to strict international regulations which prevent this from happening, and mostly it occurs within the black market.

3. Food

Similar to other countries, North Korea also open up restaurants to serve some of North Korea's native dishes while presenting the traditional performance of North Korea. The purpose of opening these restaurants will add up to the country's income as well as support the operating cost of North Korea's ambassadors in other countries.

The workers here including the chef and waiters will always be in the eyes of the government so that they do not make an escape attempt. Not just that but the North Korean family is also threatened to be killed if they tried to run away.

Even since the 1990s, these type of restaurants has been opened with the name "Pyongyang Restaurant". These restaurants can also be seen in other countries around the world but it was unsure whether they are owned by the North Korean government or it is simply a coincidence.

4. Textile

Most of the clothes produced in this country are imported from China, Vietnam, and Cambodia due to the low labor cost. Despite all of that, did you also know that North Korea generates lucrative income from the exports of its textiles to other countries?

But due to sensitivities or economic sanctions, the clothes and textiles from North Korea are usually labeled "Made in China" to give a different perspective to the eyes of the buyers. The textile industry is not something new in North Korea as in the 1970s Dutch companies had already imported clothes from North Korea.

ADVERT

The textile industry in North Korea is more focused in the Dandong district located close to the border of North Korea and China. On some, the factor for the exports of these textiles is low labor cost making the clothes produced to be 30 percent cheaper than the ones produced in China.

5. Labor power

The cheap labor in North Korea has enabled them to export coal and textile to other countries. But one unique thing about North Korea is that they also export laborers to other countries. Since the number of citizens is high, the country has sent people to China and South Korea to work in heavy industries like construction.

Some of you might ask how does the government make money through this? Well, the workers that are being sent out will only be allowed to keep 10 percent of their salary while the rest must be sent back to the government.

To ensure that all the workers abide by this rule their family members will be held hostage. By doing this it is believed that the government was able to generate as much as $2 billion each year.

Source: