North Korea’s Nuclear Push Is Just One Piece of a Nationwide Building Boom
North Korea’s Nuclear Push Is Just One Piece of a Nationwide Building Boom
BY SERGIO PEÇANHA AND JESSIA MA JULY 5, 2017
North Korea’s nuclear weapons program has led to increased sanctions and isolation. But these factors haven’t stopped the country from starting significant infrastructure projects in the last five years.
Since Kim Jong-un became North Korea’s leader in 2011, he has been trying to project a strong image at home and abroad. A major part of that has been making upgrades to military and civilian infrastructure. The investments were made despite decades of sanctions and included wide-ranging projects such as orphanages, a ski resort and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
“The people of North Korea knew little to nothing about him before he became leader,” said Curtis Melvin, a researcher who has been tracking satellite imagery of the isolated nation for 38 North, a website run by Johns Hopkins University’s U.S.-Korea Institute. “He launched a number of high-visibility projects, which raised his profile and established his legitimacy to rule.”
This week North Korea successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile that experts said could potentially hit Alaska. Images of Mr. Kim celebrating the event were publicized as much as the photographs of the missile taking off.
Kim Jong-un celebrating the successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile on July 4. Korean Central News Agency
When Kim Jong-un’s father, Kim Jong-il, inherited power, he also invested in highly visible projects. But he prioritized initiatives aimed at making North Korea self-sufficient. During his tenure, North Korea endured a famine and the loss of Soviet backing. Mr. Kim has veered from his father’s legacy, investing in public works programs that “ostensibly improve the living conditions of the people,” Mr. Melvin added.
kcontents
