The End of Import-Led Growth? North Korean Evidence

In this paper, we investigate causal relationships among exports, imports, and economic growth in North Korea by using time series data for the period between 1964 and 2004. The empirical results show that there was Granger causality from imports to GNP in the first half of the period. However, there was a causal relationship from GNP to imports in the second half of the period. This implies that economic growth stimulates imports in North Korea. The North Korean economy escaped its import-led growth situation, which some socialist economies had experienced.