In this lecture, Professor Gray, university of Sussex,  will explore how the Covid pandemic caused a shift in North Ko rean economic policy, moving away from market-driven strategies and back towards a state-centered  approach.

Following the economic collapse of the 1990s, North Korea had adopted market reforms to aid recovery and strengthen key industries, with the state selectively using market forces 
to support its self-reliant development model. However, the pandemic's border closure disrupted foreign trade, weakening the market’s role in the economy.

Observers have noted a shift in rhetoric towards a state-directed economy, with less emphasis on reform, and new policies like the 20x10 Regional Development Policy suggesting greater state control.
North Korea’s growing partnership with Russia also points to a potential move away from market-oriented external exchanges.

However, this talk will also consider whether this shift away from marketization is truly irreversible, given the structural constraints that still support.