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Is North Korea Broke?

From hacking and counterfeit money to coffee shops in Pyongyang, this isolated economy is showing signs of life that might surprise you.

North Korea has been under sanctions for many years. But this isolated economy is showing signs of life that might surprise you. From hacking and counterfeit money to coffee shops in Pyongyang, we investigate what life is like in North Korea and how the state makes its money.

Presenter: Celia Hatton
Producer: Josephine Casserly

(Photo: A woman shopping at the Kwangbok, or 'liberation', department store in Pyongyang. Credit: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images)

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23 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Thu 24 May 201802:06GMT
  • Thu 24 May 201803:06GMT
  • Thu 24 May 201806:06GMT
  • Thu 24 May 201807:06GMT
  • Thu 24 May 201814:06GMT
  • Thu 24 May 201819:06GMT
  • Mon 28 May 201803:06GMT
  • Mon 28 May 201805:06GMT
  • Mon 28 May 201806:06GMT

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