ABSTRACT
This chapter proposes to update and extend various analyses by expanding the time period, from the early twentieth century to the year 2015, for which shipping data has recently become available. It provides a historical background on ports, transport, and economic development in the light of contemporary political changes. The chapter also presents new results on traffic evolution at North Korean ports from various angles, such as fleet nationality and performance. It investigates the importance of maritime transport in the North Korean economy. The chapter analyzes the changing distribution of overseas linkages, with a specific focus on shipping flows between the Koreas and with China. In terms of average vessel size, foreign traffic largely dominated, except in 1984, 1997, and 2004–2009, while both foreign and domestic vessels have regularly reduced over time, due to falling demand, accessibility issues, and a deterioration in cargo-handling equipment.
