Illicit: North Korea's Evolving Operations to Earn Hard Currency

In "Illicit: North Korea’s Evolving Operations to Earn Hard Curre­­ncy," Sheena Chestnut Greitens provides a detailed and thoroughly researched account of the role of illicit activities in the North Korean economy. This report documents the history and evolution of North Korea’s involvement in illicit activities from trafficking illicit goods produced in other countries, to the regime’s own role in the production of illicit products. In the final chapter, Chestnut Greitens examines the significance of these activities and their implications for policies pursued by the international community. A central conclusion of Chestnut Greitens’ analysis is that in the context of eroding state control over the licit aspects of the economy, illicit activities are also being “privatized” by North Korea’s elite.