North Korea ‘looks to China for reform’

Published on 14/08/2012 00:00

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s uncle and the man seen as the power behind the young and untested dictator went to Beijing yesterday in the latest signal that the reclusive state is looking seriously at ways to revive its broken economy.

The official KCNA news agency said Jang Song-thaek was visiting China, the North’s only major ally, to discuss setting up joint commercial projects and comes after Mr Kim recently told Beijing that his priority is to develop his impoverished country’s decaying economy. Last month, a source said the North was gearing up to experiment with economic reforms.