ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 introduces the book, emphasizing the importance of the study and clarifying the issues to be covered. This book focuses on specific external economic policies of North Korea, in addition to trade and foreign investment policies, and examines how these policies can be designed for economic reform and development of North Korea. The book first emphasizes that discussion must be on concrete proposals of specific economic policies. As we discuss specific and concrete issues more and more, North Koreans can have specific ideas about the future path of their economy and realize that economic reforms and opening does not necessarily lead to collapse but a manageable shift as in the cases of Central and Eastern European counties. Second, the book also emphasizes that among various alternatives to economic opening, participation in East Asian regional economic integration is probably the best option for North Korea. East Asia can provide a large market for North Korea’s exports; in addition, it can be a major source of funding for North Korean infrastructure development. Also, participation in regional economic integration can lead to a smoother movement of North Korea towards economic reforms and opening to the international community.
