You might be aware of the beautiful new suspension bridge the Chinese built to link North Korea with Dandong (aka the Sino-DPRK Friendship Bridge). For whatever reasons, construction on the North Korean side has stalled for more than 2 years. And this symbol of a North Korea more interested in trade, and a vital link between the country and China, remains stuck in its uncompleted state.

We spied this tailor in the Kaeson Mun area and found her tinkering with ideas for internationalizing her business. We hope she soldiers on.

The Russian Railways (in a JV withthe DPRK Railways Ministry) had refurbished a pier in Rason and the rail line to Khasan, in Russia. Three pilot runs of coal to South Korea had taken place and a South Korean consortium comprising steelmaker POSCO, Hyundai Merchant Marine Company and Korail Corporation was looking for investment. By most accounts, it was looking likely that towards end of 2015 the South Korean government was planning to make an exception to allow some kind of investment into the project. (This would require an exemption from the May 24th Sanctions that have banned southern investment in the DPRK since 2010.)

One last night’s sleep in China before heading to Korea. Happy that the other group members seemed young and open minded, I felt safe to go and excited about a whole new experience....I had deliberately tried to avoid reading the news or books about North Korea so as to make myself a blank canvas with an open mind, ready to observe and soak up the experience without preconceptions or prejudice; insofar as possible to see it as it was, not through a filter.  

We just noticed that at least one brand of North Korean soju, the national alcohol and truly one thing that binds all Koreans together, now comes with a QR code.

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed HR 757, the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act. This legislation, long in the works but spurred on by Pyongyang's recent nuclear test, seeks to hark back to the moment of US pressure a decade ago.

Korean Central Television has confirmed that the "earthquake" that everybody was reporting on Wednesday morning was indeed its 4th nuclear test. What does this mean for North Korea's economic growth and business environment?

58 participants, the vast majority of them female, attended seven workshops on business development, project management, business performance evaluation, communication skills, and professional networking. Participants practiced newly learned concepts in competing teams and presented the results in front of the audience.

Check out this video: the conclusion of a collaborative effort between Choson Exchange, the UK's Architectural Association and the Korea-Singapore Friendship Society, to bring foreign architecture students together with Pyongyang students and professionals for a 10-day seminar, part of the AA's visiting school series.