With the Iran crisis and Sino-American economic disputes dominating their agenda, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly did not hold in-depth discussions on North Korea during their summit in Beijing last week. The Korean Peninsula was sidelined as the two leaders prioritized the more urgent task of stabilizing bilateral relations.
For those who had hoped Trump might reengage with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the sidelines of the China visit, this came as a major disappointment. Though impulsive and mercurial, Trump still appears to hold a uniquely personal key to reopening dialogue with Kim at a time when all official inter-Korean communication channels remain severed.
Kim, too, has repeatedly highlighted his personal rapport with Trump, signaling openness to diplomatic talks with Washington. This sharply contrasts with his declaration of “two hostile states at war” regarding the South, and his frosty response to the Lee Jae Myung administration’s peace overtures. Yet amid the continuing turmoil in Iran and broader global instability, it remains uncertain when Trump will be able to turn his attention to the deadlock on the peninsula.
This suggests Kim may have to wait longer than expected before pursuing a deal with Washington and possible sanctions relief to revive economic development. Meanwhile, signs of worsening hardship continue to emerge from the isolated North. Ordinary people suffer from chronic food shortages, malnutrition, inflationary pressure and severe restrictions on movement. Fuel shortages further cripple agricultural and industrial production.
Kim’s ambitious regional development initiative, dubbed the “20x10 policy” and introduced in January 2024, has already begun to falter under the structural limitations of the socialist economy. The policy calls for the construction or renovation of development projects in 20 cities and counties each year over a 10-year period. Yet many local communities simply lack the necessary land, capital and labor.
Under state direction, the regional development model aims to narrow the gap between Pyongyang and provincial areas while improving living standards and creating 200 regional growth hubs nationwide. The program initially focuses on light-industry factories producing food, clothing and daily necessities, with plans later expanding to hospitals, welfare facilities, and science and technology infrastructure.
However, the socialist system inherently obstructs the transition to intensive growth, which depends on innovation, technology transfer, motivation and efficiency. Local authorities have been instructed to secure resources independently, often creating distorted incentives and resource misappropriation that ultimately undermine productivity.
In the program’s first year, revenue from North Korea’s troop deployments and arms sales to Russia for its war in Ukraine helped launch the initiative, but this also made it vulnerable to shifts in Pyongyang-Moscow relations. Once the war ends, Russia may neither possess the means nor the willingness to continue supporting North Korea economically.
Against this backdrop, South Korea’s National Association of Local Governments for Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation is carrying out a notable publication project aimed at introducing all 202 North Korean cities, counties and districts. Since 2025, four volumes of the “North Korea Gazetteer for South-North Exchange and Cooperation” have been published, covering 30 localities in total.
Each volume provides information on the natural and human environments of seven or eight cities and counties, including geographical location, topography, climate, administrative divisions, population, transportation, history, culture, industry, education and notable figures.
Given the current state of inter-Korean relations and the rigid nature of the North Korean system, cross-border local partnerships may seem detached from reality. Once frozen ties thaw and North Korea begins decentralizing governance, however, South Korean municipalities could provide tailored assistance to northern partner cities and counties, helping reduce disparities in economic and social conditions.
“Local municipalities had little role to play in previous South-North interactions. This gazetteer, jointly produced by local governments in the South, represents the first step in preparing for future inter-Korean exchanges by serving as a guide for selecting partner regions and planning cooperation programs,” states the preface to Volume 1. The volume covers Sinuiju in Pyeongyang Province, Chunggang-gun in North Chagang Province, Samjiyon in Ryanggang Province, Chongjin and Kimchaek in North Hamgyong Province, and Sinpo and Hamhung in South Hamgyong Province.
The Compilation Office, operating under the Foundation of Inter-Korean Cooperation, is staffed by seven researchers and writers. Because they cannot travel to North Korea, they rely heavily on North Korean newspapers, magazines and other media reports, along with geographical and encyclopedic publications, historical maps and history books.
Wonsan is among the eight cities and counties featured in Volume 2. The eastern coastal city has long served as a trading port connected to Russia and Japan, while also functioning as a tourist destination known for its pristine beaches. The Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area, one of Kim Jong-un’s flagship projects, opened in June 2025 and attracted international attention.
Regarding future cross-border cooperation involving Wonsan, the gazetteer notes that North Gyeongsang Province proposed in 2020 extending cruise routes linking the island of Ulleungdo and Pohang to Wonsan.
In 2018, Chuncheon, the capital of Gangwon Province in the South, unveiled plans to establish a sister-city relationship with Wonsan, the capital of Gangwon Province in the North. Since then, Chuncheon has hosted the Chuncheon-Wonsan Forum five times to explore possibilities for exchange and cooperation with its prospective partner city.
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Lee Kyong-hee
Lee Kyong-hee is a former editor-in-chief of The Korea Herald. The views expressed here are the writer's own. -- Ed.
khnews@heraldcorp.com
