| Summary/Abstract |
Article Type: Research paper Purpose— This paper examines North Korea's conceptualization of the knowledge economy and discusses the rationale behind the regime's plans of enabling a technology transfer from Western enterprises. The extent to which foreign investment is integrated into the concept of North Korea's knowledge economy is evaluated. Design, Methodology, Approach— This paper evaluates these questions by examining data delivered by international organizations as well as previous literature on the North Korean economy and by systematically analyzing Rodong Sinmun articles and contributions of North Korean researchers in the Journal of Kim Il-sung University. Findings— The North Korean elite is aware of the necessity to cooperate with foreign companies to gain access to new technologies. Nevertheless, North Korea appears to remain distanced when it comes to full liberalization, as it continues to regard too much dependence on foreign forces as a threat to its efforts to become a self-reliant economy. Practical Implications— Due to the explicit reference to foreign direct investment (FDI) and foreign exchange in the knowledge economy, garnering foreign investment in technology-intensive industries appears to be one of the top priorities of North Korean economic policy. Originality, Value— North Korea's pivot to the knowledge economy is examined in terms of cooperation with foreign companies. In this sense, the aim is to bridge research related to FDI in North Korea and literature concerning North Korea's modernization efforts.
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