How North Korea is getting richer despite sanctions - Asia Specific podcast, BBC World Service

North Korea and Russia are about to open their first road bridge connection, deepening a partnership that has rapidly expanded since Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM The growing relationship is helping fuel one of the most surprising stories in Asia today: North Korea's economy appears to be performing far better than many expected. New housing projects are transforming Pyongyang, consumer activity has picked up and Russia has emerged as a major new source of revenue for Kim Jong Un's regime. Also, North Korea's use of cryptocurrency theft is growing while sanctions are being bypassed. But how much of this is a genuine economic transformation and how much is a carefully managed showcase? And are ordinary North Koreans outside the capital seeing any benefits from the influx of new money? In this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi speaks with BBC Seoul correspondent Jake Kwon and Wall Street Journal reporter Dasl Yoon about what has changed inside North Korea since the pandemic, the rise of Pyongyang's new wealth, how business really operates inside one of the world's most secretive economies, and whether closer ties with Russia are reshaping North Korea's future. 00:00 - Introduction 01:16 - North Korea’s transformation 04:19 - What does North Korea say about their economic situation? 06:39 - Reasons for North Korea’s economic growth 08:03 - How does crypto theft work? 09:17 - North Korea’s response to crypto theft allegations 09:56 - Cryptocurrency as a means to bypass sanctions 11:55 - What is new money used for in North Korea? 14:23 - Do sanctions still work? This episode was recorded on 22 June 2026. Watch more episodes of Asia Specific here 👉🏽 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4c3njIxB0KHuO8SS2mBMtUc Instagram: @bbcworldservice Email: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Mariko Oi Producer: Derek Cai, Rachel Lee, Cheyenne Lim Camera: Khairul Danish Bin Mohd Roslee, Muhammad Firdaus Bin Mohd Ansary, Syaik Muhammad Sidik Editor: Bill Birtles ---------------- This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel. If you like what we do, you can also find us here: Instagram 👉🏽 https://www.instagram.com/bbcworldservice Twitter 👉🏽 https://twitter.com/bbcworldservice Facebook 👉🏽 https://facebook.com/bbcworldservice BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio Thanks for watching and subscribing! #BBCWorldService #WorldService #asiaspecific #asiaspecificpodcast #northkorea #russia #kimjongun #pyongyang