Big Take
Big Take
Bloomberg and iHeartPodcasts
The Unexpected Rise of North Korea’s Economy
20 minutes Posted Aug 18, 2026 at 9:05 pm.
0:00
20:14
Download MP3
Show notes

North Korea was supposed to be broke and isolated. Now, it’s enjoying an unexpected economic boom.

On today’s Big Take Asia podcast, Bloomberg’s Cat Barton and host K. Oanh Ha unpack North Korea’s shift from pandemic-era hardship to a multibillion-dollar windfall, and discuss how the country’s newfound wealth is reshaping geopolitical alliances.

Read more: Kim Jong Un Flouted Sanctions to Amass $22 Billion Windfall

Further listening: North Korea’s Nuclear Program Reaches Tipping Point for the US

Watch, from Originals: Why Sanctions Aren’t Stopping North Korea

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.