Economics
Why Kim Jong Un Might Not Want the Riches Trump Is Promising
- Foreign capital could weaken Kim’s iron grip on country
- Multinationals have tales of woe in doing business there
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President Donald Trump has spent a lot of time trying to convince Kim Jong Un that great wealth awaits if he gives up his nuclear weapons and opens North Korea’s economy. Yet that carries big risks for the young leader.
While Kim’s calls for relaxing the sanctions cutting off North Korea from the global economy helped sink talks with Trump last month, it remains unclear whether he wants to follow other Asian tigers like Singapore and Vietnam and welcome a rush of foreign investment. That’s especially true if that means giving up his nuclear weapons -- the regime’s so-called treasured sword.