
- See no evil
- Noland, Marcus
- East-West Center
Title |
See no evil
Similar Titles
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Sub Title | South Korean labor practices in North Korea |
Material Type | Report |
Author(English) |
Noland, Marcus |
Publisher |
Honolulu : East-West Center |
Date | 2014-04 |
Series Title; No | Asia Pacific Issues / 113 |
Pages | 8 |
Subject Country | North Korea(Asia and Pacific) South Korea(Asia and Pacific) |
Language | English |
File Type | Link |
Original Format | |
Subject | Economy < Economic Administration Social Development < Employment |
Holding | East-West Center |
License | ![]() |
Abstract
Economic engagement between South and North Korea is often justified as a means of encouraging economic and social evolution in North Korea, with the ultimate goal of national unification. The South has invested heavily in the North, and firms have employed more than 50,000 workers. Yet expectations of a transformational impact rest on unexamined assumptions. The North recognizes the Trojan horse nature of the engagement policy: results of an original survey of South Korean employers show that the North Korean government has largely circumscribed the exposure of its citizens to both South Koreans and market-oriented economic practices, in the process violating labor rights defined by covenants to which both countries belong. The problem seems intractable, given that South Korea's diplomatic commitment to engagement with North Korea trumps labor rights concerns and South Korean firms perceive that the North Korean status quo confers benefits. (The rest omitted)