“Even in North Korea—where the government controls almost all aspects of life—markets have become an inescapable economic reality. There are 436 officially sanctioned markets in North Korea, according to research released yesterday (Aug. 26) from Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), with help from Seoul-based think tank North Korea Development Institute. Together, these markets bring in about $56.8 million a year for the government through taxes and rents. The largest of them, Sunam market, in the country’s third-largest city Chongjin, makes almost $850,000 a year.”
Source: Capitalism in North Korea: Private markets bring in $60 million a year — Quartz
