SOUTH KOREA. South Korea occupies the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. Area 98.5 thousand km2. Population: about 41 million people (1984). The capital is Seoul. Administratively, it consists of 9 provinces; The cities of Seoul and Busan are separated into separate administrative units. The monetary unit is the won.

General characteristics of the farm. South Korea's gross national product in 1984 was $80.4 billion. In the structure of the gross national product in 1982, the mining and manufacturing industries accounted for (%) 28.9 (including the extraction and processing of mineral raw materials - 1.5), agriculture, forestry and marine fishing - 14.5, construction - 7 ,8, transport, communications and warehousing - 8.6, electric power, water and gas supply -2.2. The South Korean economy is characterized by a clearly defined export orientation. The South Korean economy is highly dependent on imports: its share in the gross national product was 38% (1984). In many sectors of the economy, the dominant position is occupied by national financial-industrial groupings with clear signs of a monopolistic association. In 1981, the total sales of the 30 largest financial and industrial groups were equivalent to 60% of the gross national product. The public sector, consisting of 25 large corporations, plays a significant role in the economy. Key positions in the economy are occupied by Japanese and American capital, and the monopolies of Great Britain, France, the Netherlands and other capitalist countries are actively developing their activities. The total capacity of power plants in South Korea is 14.2 million kW (1984). There are 3 nuclear power plants in the country with a total capacity of about 1.9 million kW. Structure of the fuel and energy balance (1984%): oil 48.8, 24.3, nuclear energy 13.5, hydropower 8.5, wood and peat fuel 4.9. South Korea was 74.5% dependent on energy imports in 1982. The length of railways is 54 (1983) thousand km, highways - 6 thousand km. Port cargo turnover is 108.5 million tons (1982). The main seaports are Busan, Incheon, Ulsan, Gunsan, Mokpo, Pohang, Yeosu.

Most of the coals are anthracite. The main anthracite basins are in the east-central part of South Korea, confined to areas of development of Upper Paleozoic deposits. In the western part of Gyeongsangbuk-do province is the Mungyeong basin, in Jeollanam-do province is the Hwasun basin. The Mesozoic anthracite basins of Gimpo, Chungnam and Waegwan are located in Gyeonggi, Chungcheongnam-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do provinces, respectively. The number of coal seams is 4-6, thickness is 4-9 m. In the Kangwon Basin, the depth of coal seams is 350-570 m. The most inconsistent in thickness and length are the Mesozoic coal seams. Anthracite is silty, less often massive, lumpy. The specific lower heat of combustion of coal is from 21 to 30 MJ/kg, volatile yield is 3.5-9.15%, S content is 0.44-0.5%, ash content is 10-41%.

South Korea has only small iron ore deposits. There are sedimentary-metamorphic hematite, contact-metasomatic, skarn-related, magnetite-hematite, hydrothermal vein hematite and magmatic titanomagnetite deposits. The most important centers of iron ore mining are the Yangyang mine (Gangwon Province) with reserves of 3.1 million tons of ore, Mulgym with reserves of 2 million tons of ore, and Ulsan mine (both in Gyeongsangnam-do Province). Iron ores are also mined in the deposits of Samhwa, Hongchungyang, Samcheok, Okke (Gangwon Province), Gwangyang (Gyeonggi Province), Seosan, Yeongdong (Chungcheongbuk-do Province), Gimhae, Busan (Gyeongsangnam-do Province) and on the Seoyeonpyeong Islands. and Porymdo. The deposits are represented by sheet- and lens-shaped deposits of massive ores with a Fe content of 30-51%.

Minor deposits of manganese ores are represented by vein bodies in various rocks (Gyeongju, Yonghwa deposits, etc.), oxidized ores in the form of sheet and lens-shaped deposits among rhodochrosite limestones (Yanggu mine, Jeongseon deposit).

In South Korea there are about 100 small deposits of tungsten ores, most of which are represented by quartz-wolframite veins. The bulk of tungsten reserves are concentrated in the large Sandong scheelite deposit (Gangwon Province). Scheelite skarns occur among metamorphosed carbonate rocks. The main skarn deposit extends for 1.5 km with a thickness of 4-5 m, traced at a depth of 250 m. The content of WO 3 in the ores is 0.5-2.5%, Bi and Mo 1-1.5%. Near the Sandon deposit, new scheelite deposits were discovered with total reserves of WO 3 82 thousand tons, with predicted reserves of 77 thousand tons; the average WO 3 content in the ore is 0.5%. At the Talsong copper-tungsten deposit (Gyeongsangbuk-do province), the ores contain 0.35% WO 3 .

About 300 small deposits of gold and silver are being developed in South Korea. Deposits of bedrock ores are represented by quartz gold-silver veins with sulfides, occurring predominantly among Precambrian micaceous schists, gneisses and granites. In the southern part of South Korea, gold-bearing veins are known among Cambro-Ordovician limestones and Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous sand-shale strata. The average content (g/t) of Au in ores is 10, Ag 50. At the Kunbuk copper-gold ore deposit, the content (g/t) of Au in ores is up to 30, Ag 100. The main deposits of bedrock ores are located in the provinces of Gangwon-do (Hongchon, Hvoinseong), Gyeonggi-do (Yeoju, Anseong), Chuncheon-buk-do (Muguk, Taey, Yeongdong), Chuncheon-nam-do (Cheongyang, Imcheon) and Gyeongsang-buk-do (Gimcheon). Placers of gold are known in the provinces of Chuncheon-buk-do (Chiksan), Jeollabuk-do (Gimje), Gyeongsang-buk-do (Yeondeok, Ponghwa).

Mining. General characteristics. The cost of mineral raw materials in 1982 amounted to 5.2% of the cost of all industrial products. Structure of the mining industry (% of the total value of industry production in 1984): fuel and energy - 70.2, mining of metal ores - 9.8, mining of non-metallic minerals -20.0. In 1983, there were about 12.6 thousand mines and mines in South Korea (82.9% were inactive). Coal occupies a dominant position in the country's fuel industry. The mining industry is represented primarily by the extraction of tungsten, iron, copper, manganese, molybdenum, lead-zinc ores, gold and silver ores. Graphite, kaolin, pyrophyllite, talc, fluorite, feldspars, and other non-metallic minerals are also mined (Table 3, map).

In 1975-81, the production growth index in the mining industry was 119.1%, while in the manufacturing industry it was 238.8%. In 1980-82, the number of people employed in the mining industry fell from 124 to 110 thousand. In 1981, 58.4% of those employed in the mining industry were concentrated in the mining sub-sector. In 1984, South Korea produced mineral resources worth $1,074 million. South Korea is a major importer of mineral raw materials and fuels; the country's industry depends on the import of 20 types of mineral raw materials and fuels, and for most of them - by 90% or more. The local mining industry in 1982 100% satisfied the country's needs for raw materials for the production of tungsten and molybdenum, 76% - silver, 75% - zinc, 13% - gold, 8% - ferrous metals, 7% - tin, 1% - copper. South Korea is entirely dependent on imports of bauxite and nickel ore. The main suppliers are the countries of the Southeast, Canada and Australia, fuels are the countries of the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Mainly tungsten, molybdenum, talc, kaolin, and graphite are exported. In 1984, revenue from exports of mining products amounted to $166.5 million

Coal mining. Before the oil crisis of 1973, annual coal production in South Korea was 12-13 million tons; as a result of measures to stimulate the development of the coal industry, production increased by the early 80s. up to 21 million tons. Development is carried out by the state corporation "Dai Han Coal Corp.", which operates 6 relatively large mines and produces about 25% of the country's total production (4 mines near the city of Samcheok, Gangwon Province, one near the city of Mungyeong, Gyeongsang Province -Bukdo and one near the city of Hwasun, Jeollanam-do province), as well as numerous private companies, of which only 2 (Tangseoung and Dogyl) mine over 1 million tons of coal per year. The total number of mines, according to various estimates, is 190-300 units, and only 9 of them produce more than 0.5 million tons of coal per year. The remaining mines are small, semi-artisanal, but provide 70% of the private sector's production. The most important field being developed is Samcheok (about 11 million tons per year). The thickness of the developed layers ranges from 0.8 to 2.0 m, the dip angle is on average 40°. Development is carried out almost exclusively underground. The average depth of the mines is 200-300 m, the maximum development depth is 700 m. The mines are highly hazardous. The predominant drilling and blasting method of excavation in long working faces using diagonal wells up to 7 m long. Coal delivery to the haulage drift is gravity-fed. Preparatory workings are also carried out using the drilling and blasting method with removal of coal and rock by loading machines. Wooden support is used. Electric locomotives and conveyors are used for transport.

Extraction of precious metal ores. In South Korea, there are about 1,350 areas of gold-silver and 499 copper-gold-silver ores suitable for exploitation. The most important mines for the extraction of precious metals, developing primary gold deposits: Chokje (Anson deposit in Gyeonggi Province), Kubon and Samkwan (Cheongyang deposit in Chungcheongbuk-do Province). Alluvial gold is mined at the Ponghwa (Gyeongsangbuk-do province) and Gimje (Jollabuk-do province) deposits; the largest mine for the extraction of copper-gold-silver ores is Gwangyang (Jollanam-do province). Exploitation of the Jinju polymetallic deposit (Gyeongsangnam-do province) - underground. The ore contains 1-4% Cu, up to 30 g/t Au and about 100 g/t Ag. Almost 65% of Au and a significant part of Ag is mined by Korea Mining and Smelting Co. In 1983, 2240 kg of Au and 66.6 tons of Ag were mined.

Mining of non-ferrous metal ores. About 50% of the country's copper is extracted from the Talson copper-tungsten ores. A significant part is mined at the Kumpuk mine (Gyeongsangnam-do province). Copper ores are also extracted as a by-product during the exploitation of some copper-gold-silver and lead-zinc deposits. Copper ore mining enterprises are mostly small and provide only 0.5% of the demand for copper ore.

There are about 200 lead-zinc ore mines in South Korea. The Siheung mine develops the Icheon deposit (Gyeonggi Province). The Yonghwa-1 mine produces 622 thousand tons of ore annually, and the Yonghwa-2 mine produces 625 thousand tons of ore. The extraction and enrichment of ores at the Yonghwa-1 and Yonghwa-2 mines is carried out by Young Poong Mining Co. South Korea's self-sufficiency in lead ore is 17%, zinc - 7.3%.

Bismuth concentrate is obtained as a by-product from the processing of ores from the tungsten deposits of Sandong, Talseong and Daejeon. In the ores of the Sandon deposit, the Bi:W ratio is 1:8. Bi production in South Korea decreased from 182 tons in 1960 to 123 tons in 1980. The main producer is Korea Tungsten Mining Co.

The extraction of mining and chemical raw materials is poorly developed, and the volume of production in this sub-industry is falling. In 1981, barite production fell to 0.4 thousand tons. Pyrite production in 1965 amounted to 171 tons, in 1981 - 0.5 thousand tons. Fluorite production is declining. A significant part of it is mined at the Dojeong mine (Jollabuk-do province). South Korea meets its need for fluorite by 43%. Arsenic ores are mined in small quantities: in 1979 - 690 tons (in terms of gray arsenic).

Extraction of non-metallic industrial raw materials. In 1970-83, asbestos production in South Korea increased almost 10 times. The need for asbestos is met by 20%. The largest asbestos mine is Gwancheon (Chungcheongnam-do province).

The main amorphous graphite mines, Wolmyeon and Pongmyeon, are located in Gangwon Province. The Poeun and Yongdong fields in Chungcheongbuk-do province and the Sangju field in Gyeongsangbuk-do province are also being developed. Deposits of crystalline graphite are found in Gyeonggi Province. In 1982, South Korea exported 21.8 thousand tons of graphite to Japan, Indonesia and other countries. The extraction of crystalline graphite is carried out by the company "Shi Heung Graphite Mining Co.". Other types of non-metallic industrial raw materials in South Korea include feldspars, talc, and pyrophyllite.

Extraction of nonmetallic building materials. South Korea is rich in limestone. Its production in 1984 reached 33.5 million tons, compared to 9.1 million tons in 1970. South Korea fully supplies them with the cement industry. The largest kaolin mine is Hadong (Gyeongsangnam-do Province). Of other non-metallic building materials in South Korea in 1981, the following were mined (thousand tons): agaltolite 302.9, kyanite 6.1, mica 10. The largest quartzite mines are located in Changcheong-dong, Yanggu, Chungju.

Geological Survey. Scientific institutions. Geological and mining operations in South Korea are carried out under the guidance of the Mining Bureau of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Korea Mining Promotion Corporation, and the mining registration institutions of the Advanced Industrial Planning Administration. Scientific research in the field of geology and mining is carried out at the Korean Institute of Energy and Mineral Resources (Seoul), as well as at Seoul, Gyeongbuk (in Daegu), Busan and Chonbuk (in Jeonju) universities.

The North Korean crisis in relations with the United States, in terms of the level of aggressive rhetoric, is teetering on the brink of a hot conflict. The impulsive reaction of Donald Trump, who is caught in the grip of the Deep State, only contributes to the escalation, making him look like a weak leader who is unable to rid America of the nuclear threat. This strategy today benefits the opponents of the new American president from among the neoconservatives and Russophobes grouped around Hillary Clinton, John McCain and the Pentagon.

American analyst Phil Butler discovered sensational connections between Trump’s key opponents and the North Korean regime and believes that every time there is an escalation with the United States, there are customers in Washington. This is evidenced by a number of indirect signs associated with the raw material for the production of ballistic missiles - molybdenum. This rare metal is used to create superalloys used in jet engines and other high-temperature environments.

North Korea has the largest reserves of this rare earth metal in the world, estimated at $10 trillion. However, its main dealer is located in McCain's home state of Arizona. The American company Freeport McMoran is a monopolist on the world market of molybdenum ores, and it is headed by a friend of the Clintons and Rothschilds, Richard Adkerson. He also serves on the advisory board of the Kissinger Institute in China and the United States and is a member of the Clinton Global Initiative, which is dedicated to nothing less than “designing the future.”

Of course, this coincidence is not enough to conclude that Freeport McMoran is directly connected to Pyongyang. However, another coincidence at the Pentagon suggests that the US molybdenum monopoly is linked to North Korea's missile program. We are talking about a European supplier of industrial smuggling to North Korea - the German export company Optronic near Munich. In 2003, it was caught illegally supplying 22 tons of aluminum pipes for the construction of gas centrifuges to produce enriched uranium for nuclear weapons on board the French cargo ship Ville de Virgo.

Optronic director Hans Werner Trappel was convicted in Germany, but leads from him stretched to the CIA and the Pentagon. According to Dutch researcher Holger Eckhoff, a member of the CDU, Trappel was associated with many CIA projects in Germany. During his imprisonment, Optronic continued to operate under the leadership of his wife Elizabeth, but changed its specialization. She began recruiting temporary personnel for US military exercises in Eastern Europe, in particular, extras playing the role of the local population.

Specifically, Optronic's Facebook profile is linked to NATO's Joint Multinational Readiness Center for Military Training in Bavaria (JMRC). It turns out that the company of a man convicted of trying to provide illegal nuclear weapons components to North Korea is now working with the Pentagon to deploy NATO missions. Phil Butler believes that the 7th Army Joint Training Command is using international criminals to train for invasion of Ukraine, Russia, Poland or anywhere in Eastern Europe.

This raises the question: Was Trappel working with the Americans before the French and Germans caught him shipping centrifuge parts to Pyongyang? Yes, he collaborated with the CIA, and therefore the American intelligence services could not help but know what danger their German resident posed to the United States. The CIA may have signaled to its European counterparts to stop the smuggling of materials for North Korea's nuclear weapons.

However, then other figures associated with the highest American establishment and the Pentagon emerge from the shadow of the CIA. Indeed, in addition to Trump’s political default, North Korea’s nuclear blackmail makes it possible to raise the status of the US 7th Fleet as the main guarantor of security in the Asia-Pacific region, to justify the allocation of funds for the nuclear modernization program until 2030, and to collapse the Tokyo Stock Exchange at the initiative of the Rothschilds. In this regard, the German Trappel campaign, like its owner himself, embodies the connection between American interests and the development of the North Korean nuclear program.

The DPRK government claims that their country is a real paradise: everyone is happy, prosperous and confident in the future. But refugees from here describe a different reality, a country where they have to live beyond the limits of human capabilities, without a goal or the right to choose. was in crisis for a long time. The publication will present the features of the country's economic development.

Characteristic

Economics has three distinctive features. Firstly, it represents an order in which resources are centrally distributed. This one is called planned. Secondly, resources are used to counter possible threats that could destroy the integrity of the country. This use is called mobilization economics. And thirdly, they are guided by the principles of socialism, that is, justice and equality.

From this it turns out that the economy of North Korea is a planned mobilization economy of a socialist country. This state is considered the most closed on the planet, and since the DPRK has not shared economic statistics with other countries since the 60s, one can only guess about what is happening beyond its borders.

The country does not have the most favorable weather conditions, so there is a shortage of food products. According to experts, residents are below the poverty line; it was only in 2000 that hunger ceased to be a national problem. As of 2011, North Korea ranks 197th in the world in terms of purchasing power.

Due to militarization and the policies of the National Communist state ideology of Kim Il Sung, the economy was in decline for a long time. Only with the arrival of Kim Jong-un new market reforms began to be introduced and the standard of living increased, but first things first.

Economics of the post-war period

In the second half of the 20s of the twentieth century, Korea began to develop mineral deposits in the north of the country, which caused an increase in the population. This stopped after the end of World War II. Korea was then conditionally divided into two parts: the southern part went to the United States, and the northern part came under the rule of the USSR. This division provoked an imbalance of natural and human resources. Thus, powerful industrial potential was concentrated in the north, and the bulk of the labor force was concentrated in the south.

After the formation of the DPRK and completion (1950-1953), the economy of North Korea began to change. It was forbidden to engage in entrepreneurial activity, and the card system came into use. It was impossible to trade grain crops in markets, and the markets themselves were used extremely rarely.

In the 70s, the authorities began to pursue a policy of economic modernization. New technologies were introduced into heavy industry. The country began to supply minerals and oil to the world market. In 1979, the DPRK was already able to cover its external debts. But in 1980, the country began to default.

Two decades of crisis

The North Korean economy, in short, has been a complete fiasco. Demand for products decreased significantly, and due to the oil crisis, the country was declared bankrupt. In 1986, the external debt to the allied countries amounted to over 3 billion dollars, and by 2000 the debt exceeded 11 billion. The bias of economic development towards heavy industry and military equipment, the isolation of the country and the lack of investment were the factors that impeded economic development.

To correct the situation, in 1982 it was decided to create a new economy, the basis of which was to be the development of agriculture and infrastructure (especially power plants). Two years later, a law on collective enterprises was adopted, which helped attract foreign investment. 1991 was marked by the creation of a special economic zone. Even if it was difficult, investments began to flow there.

Juche ideology

The Juche ideology had a particular influence on the states. This is a peculiar combination of the concepts of Marxism-Leninism and Maoism. Its main provisions that influenced the economy were as follows:

• revolution is a way to achieve independence;
• to do nothing means to abandon the revolution;
• to protect the state, it is necessary to arm the entire people so that the country turns into a fortress;
• the correct view of the revolution comes from a feeling of boundless devotion to the leader.

In fact, this is what the North Korean economy rests on. The bulk of the resources are aimed at developing the army, and the remaining funds are barely enough to save citizens from hunger. And in such a state no one will rebel.

Crisis of the 90s

After the Cold War, the USSR stopped providing support to North Korea. The country's economy stopped developing and fell into decay. China also stopped providing support to Korea, and combined with natural disasters, this led to famine in the country. According to experts, the famine caused the death of 600 thousand people. Another plan to establish balance has failed. Food shortages increased and an energy crisis erupted, resulting in the shutdown of many industrial enterprises.

Economics of the 21st century

When Kim Jong Il came to power, the country's economy perked up a bit. The government carried out new market reforms, and the amount of Chinese investment increased ($200 million in 2004). Due to the crisis of the 90s, semi-legal trade became widespread in the DPRK, but no matter how hard the authorities try, even today there are “black markets” and smuggling of goods in the country.

In 2009, an attempt was made to introduce financial reform to strengthen the planned economy, but as a result the country's inflation rate soared and some essential goods became scarce.

At the time of 2011, the DPRK's balance of payments finally began to show a figure with a plus sign; foreign trade had a positive impact on the state treasury. So what is North Korea's economy like today?

Planned Economy

The fact that all resources are at the disposal of the government is called a command economy. North Korea is one of the socialist countries where everything belongs to the state. It is this that resolves issues of production, import and export.

The command-administrative economy of North Korea is designed to regulate the quantity of manufactured products and pricing policy. At the same time, the government makes decisions not based on the real needs of the population, but guided by planned indicators that are presented in statistical reports. There is never an oversupply of goods in the country, since this is impractical and economically unprofitable, which the government cannot allow. But very often you can find a shortage of essential goods, in connection with this, illegal markets flourish, and with them corruption.

How is the treasury filled?

North Korea has only recently begun to emerge from the crisis; ¼ of the population is below the poverty line, and there is an acute shortage of food products. And if we compare the economies of North and South Korea, which compete with Japan in the production of humanoid robots, the former is definitely lagging behind in development. Nevertheless, the state found ways to fill the treasury:

• export of minerals, weapons, textiles, agricultural products, coking coal, equipment, grain crops;
• oil refining industry;
• trade relations with China have been established (90% of trade turnover);
• taxation of private business: for each transaction made, the entrepreneur pays the state 50% of the profit;
• creation of shopping zones.

Kaesong - commercial and industrial park

Together with the Republic of Korea, a so-called industrial park was created, where 15 companies are located. More than 50 thousand North Koreans work in this zone, their wages are almost 2 times higher than in the territory of their native state. The industrial park is beneficial for both parties: finished products are exported to South Korea, and North Korea has a good opportunity to replenish the state treasury.

Dandong city

Relations with China have been established in a similar way, only in this case the stronghold of trade is not the industrial zone, but the Chinese city of Dandong, where trade transactions are carried out. Now there are many North Korean trade missions open there. Not only organizations, but also individual representatives can sell goods.

Seafood is in particular demand. In Dandong there is a so-called fish mafia: in order to sell seafood, you need to pay a fairly high tax, but even this makes a good profit. There are, of course, brave souls who import seafood illegally, but due to strict sanctions, there are fewer of them every year.

Today North Korea is dependent on foreign trade, this But there are several more interesting points in the country's economy, some of them are inseparable from politics.

Thus, there are 16 labor camps in the country, created according to the Gulag principle. They serve two roles: punishing criminals and providing free labor. Since the country has the principle of “punishment of three generations,” some families spend their entire lives in these camps.

During the period of economic decline, insurance fraud flourished in the country, and at the international level, for which the government was sued more than once to demand the return of insurance payments.

At the end of the 70s, foreign trade was abolished. In this regard, anyone could enter the international market by first registering with a special foreign trade company.

During the crisis, food was the main currency; it could be exchanged for anything.

The economy of North Korea may take first place in the world in terms of its degree of closedness from the outside world.

There are still many gaps in the country's economy, citizens are trying to migrate at any opportunity, and cards that replace money have not yet come out of use. It is almost impossible to enter the territory of the state, and all areas visible to tourists can be called exemplary territories. The world is at a loss as to what is really going on in North Korea, but the country's economy is rising and, perhaps, in a decade the DPRK will be at the same level of economic development as its closest neighbors.

Few people consider North Korea to be a prosperous country. But there is something that it is really rich in: mineral resources.

The country contains huge reserves of minerals, including iron, gold, zinc, copper, limestone, molybdenum, graphite - about 200 types of minerals in total. There are also large quantities of rare earth metals used in the production of smartphones and other high-tech products. Estimates of the value of the country's mineral resources have varied widely over the years and have been complicated by secrecy and lack of access to them. According to one South Korean mining company estimate, they are worth more than $6 trillion. Another research institute from South Korea predicts at $10 trillion.

North Korea has prioritized the development of its mining sector since 1970. But while production increased until about 1990 - and peaked in 1985 - it began to decline after that. In 2012, the number of mines in the country was about 700. Many were poorly functioning and in disrepair. The country lacks the equipment, expertise and even basic infrastructure to properly hit the jackpot that awaits it in the ground. In April, Lloyd R. Vasey, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted: “North Korean mining production has declined significantly since the early 1990s. It is likely that the average operating rate of existing mine facilities is below 30% of capacity. There is a shortage of mining equipment, North Korea is unable to purchase new equipment due to the difficult economic situation, energy shortages, age and the general poor state of the power grid.” Private mining is illegal in communist North Korea, as are private enterprises in general. The ruling regime under third-generation dictator Kim Jong Un has been known to kick foreign mining companies out of the country or suddenly change the terms of agreements. Despite all this, the people are so endowed with underground resources that mining accounts for approximately 14% of the economy.

China is the main consumer of this sector. Last September, South Korea's state-run Korea Development Institute said mineral trade between North Korea remained a cash cow for Pyongyang despite UN sanctions and that it accounted for 54% of North Korea's total trade with China in the first half of 2016. of the year. China imported $73 million worth of iron ore from North Korea in 2015, and $680,000 worth of zinc in the first quarter of this year. North Korea has been particularly active in coal mining in recent years. In 2015, China imported about $1 billion worth of coal from North Korea. Coal remains particularly attractive because it can be mined with relatively simple equipment. Large deposits of the material are located near major ports and on the border with China, which alleviates the problem of poor transport infrastructure in the country.

For years, Chinese buyers have purchased coal from North Korea at a much lower market price. Last summer, coal supplies to China accounted for about 40% of all North Korean exports. But global demand for coal is declining as natural gas and renewables gain momentum. At the beginning of 2017, Beijing, in accordance with UN sanctions, began limiting its neighbor's coal imports. After North Korea conducted its first nuclear test in 2006, the UN tightened sanctions against it. In 2016, attention focused on the country's underground resources. In November 2016, the UN adopted a resolution to reduce North Korean coal exports and ban the supply of nickel, copper, zinc and silver. This was followed by a ruling in March 2016 banning the export of gold, vanadium, titanium and rare earth metals.

Of course, Pyongyang is adept at evading such sanctions, especially through maritime transport. Periodically, this covert activity becomes apparent during random interceptions of ships. Earlier in 2017, a UN group of experts concluded that North Korea, despite sanctions, continues to export prohibited minerals.

• 06.12.2013 SRE Minerals announced the discovery of the largest deposit of rare earth elements in North Korea
  Jeongju is projected to become the largest rare earth deposit in the world. Mineral reserves at the project are estimated at trillions of dollars
  
  

General information

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea) is located in eastern Asia, in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. It has a land border with three countries: China along the Yalu River, Russia along the Tuman River and South Korea. In the west it is washed by the Yellow Sea and the Korean Gulf, and in the east by the Sea of ​​Japan.

Total area: 120,540 km2, land: 120,410 km2, water: 130 km2. Land border: total 1,673 km. The length of the border with: China - 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km. Coastline length: 2,495 km.

The government of the DPRK has declared the country's territorial waters to be the water area adjacent to the coast within a 12-mile zone (22.224 km). In addition, foreign ships and aircraft cannot enter the zone located from the coast at a distance of up to 92.6 km in the Sea of ​​Japan and 370.4 km in the Yellow Sea.

The waters in the Yellow Sea between the DPRK and South Korea are divided by the disputed Northern Boundary Line, unilaterally created by the American military command in the early 50s of the 20th century and not officially recognized by the DPRK government

North Korea is rich in mineral resources. Explored coal reserves in North Korea are estimated at 6.6 billion tons. The reserves are represented by anthracite (Pyongyang basin, middle reaches of the Taedong River, East Korean Mountains) and brown coal (Tumangan and Anju basins).

Large iron ore deposits of Musan and Yllul are located in the northeast and west of the DPRK. Iron ore deposits are usually shallow and are mined by opencast mining. The iron content in the ore is estimated at 40-65%. The ore deposits include polymetallic ones with a high content of lead and zinc (Komdok, Kandon), copper ores (Gapsan), manganese ores (Kimhwa), chrome ores (Pureong), nickel ores (Najin - DPRK), cobalt ores (Tancheon), tungsten ores (Mannyeon), molybdenum ores (Kosan, Kumgang). Gold deposits are also being developed from metallic minerals (Unsan, Suan - DPRK). North Korea has the world's largest graphite deposits (Obok - DPRK) and significant magnesite deposits (Tancheon, etc.).

Barium deposits are being developed. Monazite and thorium have been discovered, which are used in nuclear energy and the military industry.