N. Korea runs out of gas; only the elite can now fill their cars

Asahi Shimbun ^ | October 4, 2017 | YOSHIHIRO MAKINO

[TigerLikesRooster]

Some people in Pyongyang got rich by running hard-currency running enterprises, and some others made money in local markets and smuggling operations. Apparently they bought cars. Income distribution in N. Korea is further polarized after Kim Jong-un took power, I think. Even inside Pyongyang. The city center(Chang-kwang District) now has new high-rise building complex with glitzy facade, while the rest of Pyongyang is economically depressed. The place is all Chang-kwang and nothing else, it seems.

Amazingly, Western ‘experts’ see it as a sign of ‘economic prosperity,’ a gross distortion of what is happening.

Kim Jong-un is concentrating economic resources into his missiles/nuke development and these selected show-case projects. He is keen to showing outside world that they are becoming nuclear power and economically prospering at the same time, beating sanctions. He is trying to show that his “Byung-jin” policy is working, simultaneously pursuing military and economic development.

[Kickass Conservative]

>>>Those individuals all have license plates that begin with the three-digit sequence “727,” which refers to July 27, an auspicious date in North Korean history as it was when a cease-fire agreement was signed in 1953 to suspend fighting in the Korean War<<<

The day after I was Born. I came in Peace.

[familyop]

Thank you, TLR, and thank you for the good keywords for further reading.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Correction: running hard-currency running[earning] enterprises

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

What cars?

[DAC21]

Women, Children, Grass and Tree Bark hit hardest!

[Joe Boucher]

Korea, both North and South are a lot like Japan, they have virtually zero gas reserves and import the vast majority of fuel.

[vooch]

just like florida or Houston or PR

[Wuli]

That’s the “national security” question, and one neither North Korea nor the allies and South Korea are unaware of.

No doubt there is a certain level of reserves that the dictatorship thinks it needs whenever major hostilities were to break out, for any reason.

At some point the North may see THAT situation as a “now or never” situation, if even the military’s consumption is about to be consuming any national “mission critical” reserves.

If and when such a point is reached, look for Kim to try something crazy; and I would not even speculate exactly what that would be.

[oldasrocks]

That’s great. Lil Kim is doing his part to control Global Warming! The same should be done in DC, LA, NYC and Detroit.

[danamco]

That’s our landline phone area code !!!

[mund1011]

Red Barchetta - Great song
Nice user name, 21twelve

[infool7]

North and South Korea is a good example of the best we can hope for, of the Left and Right living together side by side and it is a complete tragedy. “As far as the east is from the west” comes to mind.

[Let's Roll]

Yeah, I was wondering how “only the elite” would be any different.

[ColdOne]

Only the elite have cars in NK.

[caww]

.....”He is trying to show that his “Byung-jin” policy is working, simultaneously pursuing military and economic development”.....

That is for the people in Pyongyang primarily in order to sustain their loyalty. He knows all too well the world sees it as it really is. He'll do what he has to with those in the city to prevent the from turning on him. He could fake it for a time but not indefinitely.....

[musicman]

"N. Korea runs out of gas;
only the elite
can now fill their cars...."



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[caww]

Exactly.....Kim Un knows he can never fight a land war and win anything..his entire hold on power is his nuclear ambitions and the people in the capital city ‘believe’ that is what is preventing the US from further attacking the country. They stand in the square and watch Fatboys propaganda films of all these blast offs thinking this is Kim fighting the US. rather than Kims doing this without provocation..