North Korean Special Economic Zone Poised for Revival With New Russia Trade

FILE PHOTO: A North Korean woman drinks beer at a local market in Rajin at the Special Economic Zone of Rason City, northeast of Pyongyang Aug. 29, 2011. A satellite image shows a port in Rason, North Korea, Oct. 27, 2023. Planet Labs Pbc/Handout.

Once a North Korean experiment in limited capitalism, the Rason Special Economic Zone appears to be the epicenter of the isolated country's growing cooperation with Russia, experts say, including possible shipments of arms for the war in Ukraine.