North Korea's economy shrinks 4.5% in 2020 amid pandemic: BOK
A bridge linking North Korea with China over Aprok River / Korea Times file |
North Korea's economy is estimated to contract 4.5 percent on-year in 2020, marking the worst contraction since 1997, as Pyongyang closed its borders over the COVID-19 pandemic, South Korea's central bank said Friday.
The North's economy, which has been hit by tightened U.N. sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs, expanded 0.4 percent in 2019, but shrank 4.1 percent in 2018 and 3.5 percent in 2017, the Bank of Korea (BOK) said in a report.
Last year, North Korea suffered its biggest economic contraction since 1997, when the North's economy shrank 6.5 percent amid a "arduous march," a term used by the North that describes hardships of its people during the famine in the 1990s.
The North's economic contraction last year was led by "intense U.N. sanctions, deteriorating weather conditions and border lockdowns over the COVID-19 pandemic," a BOK official told reporters.
South Korea proposes talks with North Korea about setting up video conferencing system: minister 2021-07-30 13:43 | North Korea
The BOK's annual report is based on data from South Korean institutions specializing in North Korea, which does not publish official economic data.
North Korea's foreign trade plunged 73.4 percent on year in 2020 to US$860 million as shipments to China, the North's biggest trading partner, were curbed over the pandemic, the BOK said.
The North's exports totaled $90 million in 2020, down 67.9 percent from a year ago. Imports stood at $770 million last year, down 73.9 percent from a year ago, the BOK said.
North Korea's nominal gross national income (GNI) stood at 35 trillion won ($30.1 billion) in 2020. That was equivalent to just 1.8 percent of South Korea's GNI.
The North's GNI per capita in 2020 stood at 1.38 million won, equivalent to 3.7 percent of the South's GNI per capita.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, who recently visited South Korea for talks on North Korea, voiced sympathy for North Korean people who face food shortages due to the pandemic.
"We all feel for the people of the DPRK, who are indeed, facing all the most difficult circumstances given the pandemic, and what it means as well for their food security," Sherman told reporters in Seoul, referring to the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"We only hope for a better outcome for the people of the DPRK," Sherman said. (Yonhap)
(责任编辑:新闻中心)
推荐文章
-
Shilpa Jindia ,August 2, 2024 Freedom from ...[详细]
-
专访亚贵红创始人张树得:瞄准预制菜市场,30年卤味传承再“掘金”
专访亚贵红创始人张树得:瞄准预制菜市场,30年卤味传承再“掘金”_南方+_南方plus近年来,在“懒宅经济”等多方因素的影响下,我国预制菜产业迎来发展的红利期。企查查数据显示,我国预制菜相关企业注册量 ...[详细] -
爆火!咨询电话不停!广东农产品品牌最高奖红荔奖遴选一呼百应_南方+_南方plus“我们想报名赛道六典型人物类,请问需要准备什么资料?”“我们公司要参加评选!请问怎么报名?”“我们团队准备参加设计、营销 ...[详细]
-
■她来自凉山州,是个地地道道的彝家“阿米子”;2006年从西南民族大学毕业,来到荥经县工作。■当哺乳期遇上市党代会,她果断催促身在西昌的丈夫返回荥经,携仅三个多月的幼儿共赴盛会。28日早上六点半,市郊 ...[详细]
-
Tesla considers adding a new ‘stuck detection' feature to Cybertruck. Here’s why.
By now, you've probably seen the viral videos of the Tesla Cybertruck get stuck trying to do, well, ...[详细] -
“新疆好像没有预制菜”上热搜?广东预制菜来啦!_南方+_南方plus每年7月和8月都是新疆的旅游旺季,大家对新疆关注度的提升也成功带火了相关话题。近日,“新疆好像没有预制菜”话题登上微博热搜,阅读量超 ...[详细]
-
雅安日报讯为确保第四届中国·雅安国际熊猫·动物与自然电影周(以下称第四届电影周)期间的食品卫生安全,16日,由雨城区多个部门组成联合检查组,对啤酒屋一条街餐饮店以及茶楼等餐饮点进行了重点检查。检查组严 ...[详细]
-
雅安日报讯,日前,雨城区团委、雨城区烟草专卖局、四川农业大学生命科学与理科院的领导,带领四川农业大学生命科学与理科院的学生志愿者,来到雨城区中里镇中心小学,与留守儿童开展结对关爱活动。活动仪式上,雨城 ...[详细]
-
Ruling bloc seeks tougher sentences for deepfake sex crimes
People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon speaks during an emergency meeting of government officials an ...[详细] -
把鲜味带回家!中山市首家特色预制菜体验店开业_南方+_南方plus近日,中山市预制菜产业联盟成立大会暨中山特色预制菜体验店开业仪式在该市举行。活动现场宣布中山市预制菜产业联盟正式成立,并表决通过了中山 ...[详细]
热点阅读