Why North Korea is Reluctant about “Reform and Opening Up”

朝鲜为何不愿被称改革开放/

Why North Korea is Reluctant about “Reform and Opening Up”/

by Cao Shigong

最近，朝鲜在经济政策调整和拓展对外经济方面采取的一些积极举措引起广泛关注。这些举措有助于朝鲜尽快走出长期持续的经济民生困局，有利于朝政治、社会稳定和促进区内经济合作，值得欢迎和鼓励。但是，如果把朝鲜的这些举措说成是“全面改革的信号”“扩大开放的开始”，这却是不妥的。

A series of proactive steps taken by North Korea recently to adjust its economic policies and expand its foreign trade economy have attracted widespread attention. These initiatives, designed to help the country overcome its long and persistent economic hardships as quickly as possible, improve both its political and social stability, and promote economic cooperation throughout the region, should be welcomed and encouraged. But to regard such moves by North Korea as “signs of comprehensive reform,” or, “the beginning of a wider opening up to the outside world,” is really not appropriate.

朝鲜历来不愿将其经济发展措施称作“改革开放”。如果站在朝鲜的立场，从其特殊国情出发去观察问题，那么，我们就会理解它为什么不愿贴上“改革开放”的标签。笔者认为核心问题是三个：第一，中国改革开放是在拨乱反正，彻底否定“阶级斗争为纲”的错误路线的基础上进行的;而朝鲜作为血脉相传的政权，先辈领袖的“主体思想”和“先军路线”是国家稳定的压舱石，被奉为圭臬，决不容许置疑和更改。

North Korea has always been reluctant to call its economic development measures “reform and opening up. Looking at the matter from the perspective of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), given North Korea’s unique national circumstances, we can understand why they resist such labels. I think there are three main issues: First, China’s “reform and opening up” was carried out on the basis of eliminating chaos, returning to normalcy and completely negating the mistaken path of “class struggle as the key link,” whereas for the DPRK, a bloodline transmitted regime, the “self-reliance” and “military-first” policies of its former leaders are the ballast stones that stabilize the country, lauded as guiding principles people absolutely must not doubt nor change.

第二，中国改革打破计划经济体制，以建立社会主义市场经济体制为导向，实行多种所有制并存特别是允许发展私营经济;而朝鲜在思想上仍然固守“计划经济和生产资料社会主义所有制是社会主义主要特征”的认识，认为改变这两条就是丢掉社会主义。

Second, China’s reforms, which broke the shackles of the planned economy, orienting it instead towards the establishment of a market-oriented socialist economy, have implemented the coexistence of multiple ownership systems that support the growth of private business. However, North Korea still strictly adheres ideologically to “the main features of socialism, including a planned economy and socialist ownership over the means of production,” and believes that changing these points is tantamount to abandoning socialism altogether.

第三，中国国家体量大，承受能力强，在全方位开放情况下，尽管遭遇外来思想文化侵蚀、冲击的严重挑战，仍能保持政治和社会稳定;而朝鲜在美国敌视、南北分裂和激烈制度竞争的复杂环境下，如果像中国一样国门大开，敌对思想和不良资讯流入，势必给其政治和社会稳定带来威胁。

Moreover, China is a large country that can withstand such hardships. Even if it were to open up completely, it could maintain its political and social stability despite the serious challenges of ideological and cultural erosion. But in this complex environment of institutional competition, if North Korea opens its doors like China, hostile ideas and bad information would inevitably seep in, further threatening its political and social stability.

对此，朝鲜采取的处方是实行“我们式(朝鲜式)社会主义”和相应的“革新”举措。这些以“7.1经济管理改善措施”“6.28措施”“5.30措施”等命名的举措，从“土地承包”、企业扩权以及建立特区和开发区等方面看，确实容易产生中国式改革开放的联想，但深入辨析即可发现，朝鲜的“革新”举措与中国的改革开放存在极大区别。比如，朝鲜搞“土地承包”，但并不解散合作农场;鼓励企业灵活经营，但并不改变产权属性;建立特区、经济开发区，但采取的是“据点式”“走廊式”管控模式。

In response, North Korea’s prescription has been to implement “our style of socialism” and related “reforms” known as “7.1 Measures for Improving Economic Management, 6.28 Measures for Economic Reform, and 5.30 Measures,” which are indeed similar to China’s style of “reform and opening up. Even so, a closer analysis shows that North Korea’s reforms are quite different from China‘s. For example, North Korea has established “land contracts” but hasn‘t abolished cooperative farms; it has encouraged enterprises to be flexible without altering their property rights; it has established special zones and economic development zones, yet has also adopted “stronghold-style” and “corridor-style” control models.

总之，朝鲜“革新”举措的基本点是：在不触动基本体制、制度的前提下，提高政策弹性，引进新的管理方式，发挥市场的作用;在“鸟笼式”管控下引进和利用外资。显然，这些做法是从朝鲜的国情出发的，具有鲜明的朝鲜特色。

Overall, the basic features of North Korea’s reforms are based on increasing policy flexibility, introducing new management styles, emphasizing the role of the market without changing the basic functions of the system, and introducing and using foreign capital under “birdcage–style” [economic reform theory] management controls. Clearly, these practices arise from the country’s own domestic conditions and have distinct North Korean characteristics.

普遍认为，朝鲜的“革新”举措已经初见成效。据报道，朝鲜经济已连续3年保持正增长，国内市场和消费明显活跃，粮食紧张、生活用品紧缺得到缓解，这些成果与其实行的经济政策调整密切相关。随着经验积累和自信心增强，朝鲜加快“革新”和对外经济发展步伐的可能性是存在的。

North Korea’s reforms are believed to have begun to bear fruit: Its economy has reportedly maintained positive growth for three consecutive years; its domestic markets and consumption are increasingly active; and the country’s food and supply shortages have eased as well, achievements that are closely linked to the adjustment of its economic policies. As it gains experience and self-confidence, the DPRK may even accelerate the pace of North Korea’s reforms and foreign economic development.

另一方面也要看到，目前，朝韩紧张对立仍在继续，南北之间仅存的经济合作示范区开城工业园区摩擦不断，不能不使人们对与朝经济合作心存疑虑;特别是朝鲜坚持发展核导弹，国际制裁和孤立难以打破。如此恶劣的外部环境，必然对朝的内部“革新”和对外发展形成严重制约。这些因素决定了朝鲜的经济变革存在着严重的不确定性。因此，也提醒媒体和学界向社会传达朝鲜信息务须准确、全面，以免造成“莺歌燕舞”式的误导，麻痹、削弱投资者的风险意识，造成难以挽回的损失。(作者是中国亚太学会朝鲜半岛研究会委员)

On the other hand, we can see that today the tensions between the DPRK and the Republic of Korea are still very palpable, and the only remaining economic cooperation zone between the two sides, the Kaesong Industrial Region, is in a constant state of conflict, making companies weary of economic cooperation with North Korea. It also remains very difficult for North Korea to escape sanctions and isolation from the international community, especially if it continues to insist on developing nuclear weapons. In such a hostile political environment, its internal reforms and external development are bound to be severely constrained, creating serious uncertainties for the country’s future economic transformation. Therefore, in order to avoid misleading “accusations,” paralysis, weakening of investors’ stock risk awareness, or other irreversible losses, both the media and the academic community are reminded that information on North Korea must be accurate and comprehensive.