
Trickle down. So at least there's a visual reminder, but, as The Times points out, the North Korean elite is missing the point that they're not protecting their population from the evils of capitalism anymore, especially when their conspiracy of individuals at the top of the system still rewards itself based on their status as it has always been. Ba dump bump.

The Times states - from rare interviews - in fact North Koreans said, their lives have gotten harder, despite Mr. Kim’s tantalizing pronouncements about boosting people’s livelihoods that have fueled outside hopes that the nuclear-armed nation might ease its economically ruinous obsession with military hardware and dabble in Chinese-style market reforms. (Ba dump bump)

Come on. Is everyone slow on the uptake? It's an elitist caste system waiting to be bribed to change so none of the actual work is taken on by themselves. How capitalism the world over is usually applied.
The Times supplies details. - Food prices have spiked, the result of drought and North Korea’s defiant launching of a rocket in April that shut down new offers of food aid from the United States. Development organizations also blame speculators who have hoarded staples in anticipation of reforms that have yet to materialize.

Rice has doubled in price since early summer, and chronic shortages of fuel, electricity and raw materials continue to idle most factories, leaving millions unemployed.
Uh huh? When the point is especially their working poor don't have enough, exactly what does unemployment really mean?

When as long as it's Kim Jong-Un's decision, and not the general population's, then progress will be stifled by those in control, just as with virtually every nation on Earth. The myth of the equal pursuit of economic growth took centuries to evolve this far. How's North Korea going to do anything much more different than pacify their elite? That said, waiting on opening the economic gates hasn't helped yet either.

The Times continues - In interviews with - four North Koreans, though, optimism was in short supply. Emaciated beggars haunt train stations, they said, while well-connected businessmen continue to grow rich from trading with China and government officials flourish by collecting fines and bribes.
Corruption for everybody. That last link isn't funny, huh? But don't let yourself be bamboozled into thinking we aren't evolved from charlatans and thieves. That's the soap that was believably sold that brought about the communist revolutions, a different elite used to establish themselves as royalty on Earth. Gigs up, no? Even The New York Times says so.
Page two of the online Times story even includes a picture of women bowling in Pyongyang. My God, when have we ever heard about that before? Don't get me wrong but where North Korea stands now, all Mr. Kim has to do is, figuratively, drop a coin to start an industry. As easy as a coat of paint. Let your people go.

It's presumed most escorts are arrested and out of circulation.
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A fence along the North Korean border |
Summing the situation up, The Times quotes Daniel Pinkston, a North Korea expert with the International Crisis Group. “People leapt to very sweeping conclusions about reform, but it’s not a switch that happens in a day,” said Mr. Pinkston, who visited North Korea this summer. “On the other hand, the privileged few who have a monopoly on certain sectors are making out like bandits.”
Can't stop it, as has been proven time and time again. The solution is wealth is derived from others success and that's been difficult world-wide. Come on Mr. Kim? Time to grin and take on some real growing pains. Remember, however it turns out, Gorbachev will be regarded as greater than many of the combined minds of history.

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