North Korea’s Economy Rebounds as Kim-Putin Ties Fuel Arms Trade

North Korea’s economy roared back to life as arms transfers with Russia provided support for Kim Jong Un’s regime, allowing the leader to shun diplomacy as he ramped up his threats against the US and South Korea.

North Korea’s gross domestic product expanded 3.1% in 2023 from a year earlier, ending a three-year streak of contractions and posting the biggest growth since 2016, according to estimates published Friday by South Korea’s central bank.

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Kim Jong Un, left, walks with Vladimir Putin at the Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang on June 19

Photographer: Vladimir Smirnov/POOL/AFP/Getty Images

The growth comes as Kim has drawn closer to Moscow, ignored US calls to return to disarmament talks and rolled back border restrictions imposed ...