Orders return to North Korea’s contract manufacturing sector, but earnings lag

2026-03-23 - 10:40

North Korea’s contract manufacturing sector, known as imga-gong (processing-on-commission work), is showing tentative signs of recovery in 2026 after years of near-total collapse following the COVID-19 border shutdown. But growing order volumes from Chinese partners have not translated into real earnings gains for North Korean trading companies, according to a Daily NK source in North Pyongan... Source