North Korea’s Economy Contracted in 2015 Amid Nuclear Ambitions
- Economic growth fell 1.1%, the biggest decline since 2007
- Kim’s regime conducted fourth nuclear test at start of 2016
The bronze statue of Kim Il Sung stands on Mansu Hill in Pyongyang.
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North Korea’s economy last year is estimated to have contracted the most since 2007 as its leader Kim Jong Un marshaled resources for nuclear tests and ballistic missile development.
The gross domestic product of the totalitarian state fell 1.1 percent in 2015 from a year earlier, when it expanded 1 percent, according to calculations released by South Korea’s central bank Friday.