This paper argues that Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, faces a dilemma between maintaining his dictatorship and enabling economic growth amid pervasive marketization. Although he puts more emphasis on economic development than his father did, he is unlikely to launch Chinese-style reform...

Using a novel data set from post-communist countries in the 1990s, this paper examines linkages between political constraints, economic reforms and growth. A dynamic panel analysis suggests public support for reform is negatively associated with income inequality and unemployment. Both the ex...

Using data from transition economies, this paper examines linkages between political constraints and economic reforms. Estimation results suggest that progress in reform is positively associated with public support for reforms, which is affected by income inequality and expected individual...

Instability in the North Korean economy and regime stands out as one of the most important challenges for the South Korean economy. However, despite the significance and severity of the issue, there is presently a comparative lack of research on the potential for change in the North Korean...