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North Korea is marketing itself as a trade hub in Northeast Asia. On its business website, it claims the reclusive Stalinist state ¡°will become in the coming years the most important hub for trading in Northeast Asia,¡± because it has the ¡°lowest labor cost in Asia¡±, ¡°highly qualified and motivated personnel¡± and the ¡°lowest tax scheme in Asia.¡±
Decorated with a logo of a Korean Peninsula map in a sun, which symbolizes North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, the website boasts of the advantages of investment in North Korea, touting ¡°all business made directly with the government and state-owned companies with no middlemen¡±, ¡°a government with solid security and very stable political system, without corruption,¡± while ¡°education, housing and health service is provided for free to all citizens.¡±
The website is run by the Korea Friendship Association. A North Korean staffer of the organization¡¯s Asian chapter in the ancient Thai capital of Sukhothai said the KFA works in cooperation with the North Korean Ministry of Commerce. The website is not accessible to South Koreans.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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