Part 8/17:
Though North Korea officially prohibits private enterprise, Hung Lee notes that corruption and market activities are widespread. His father's involvement in international trade granted him access to foreign currency and a more comfortable lifestyle compared to ordinary citizens, who rely heavily on bribery and black markets for basic necessities like food and goods.
Despite the state's tight control, a shadow economy flourished, with limited salary gaps among elites and powerful officials, who often engaged in illegal trade or benefitted from bribery. This underground economy was an indirect result of the regime's failure to meet the population's needs and the pervasive restrictions on economic activity.