Commerce group wants to work with North Korea

KCCI chairman Park Yong-maan

By Yoon Ja-young

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) will take necessary steps to work with its North Korean counterpart this year to help the reclusive regime adopt market economy principles.

“I think we should change our notion about North Korea,” said KCCI Chairman Park Yong-maan in a New Year’s media interview.

He said he had changed his view after meeting experts on North Korea.

“They told me that it’s been a while since the regime began allowing a market economy through a black market,” he said.

“There are organizations doing business like private companies and the regime is collecting some of taxes. There are more than 2.8 million cellphones in North Korea and the demand is far surpassing supply.”

He said no people were starving to death in the North.

According to the National Intelligence Service, up to 1.8 million North Koreans use a black market called “jangmadang” daily.

Park said that because the regime had started moving to a market economy, “it is necessary that we first discuss what we can do.”

The chairman suggested that KCCI might promote merchandising trade to help North Korean products move into the global market.

“For instance, we can help them with exports,” he said. “As the market economy is already seen in North Korea, it seems we need more analysis to determine how we can help.”

He said the KCCI had set up a division for economic cooperation with the North.

The chamber expects it can use the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) network for cooperation with its North Korean counterpart, the DPRK Chamber of Commerce, which is also a member of the ICC.

The KCCI is one of the major ICC members, with Park on the ICC executive board.

For instance, Park explained, the KCCI might certify that a product is of North Korean origin, based on a certificate of origin from the DPRK Chamber of Commerce.

“After a while, Korea may begin purchasing an emission quota from North Korea based on international agreements on climate change,” Park said. “There are numerous areas for cooperation.”