Although the rhetoric coming out of China still hearkens back to the bad old days of Mao, I can guarantee you that North Korea is a completely different world from China. I've been to both countries.
Let me put it this way: choco pies [0] are considered bonus incentives in North Korean factories.
And a lot of folks in the West don't seem to realize that there is quite a bit of international trade involving North Korea; there's a lot of countries that aren't so picky about whom they do business with. They clearly have capable engineers and scientists. The day I left Pyongyang on the public flight to Beijing, there was an unscheduled flight to Bangkok on the airport departure board.
Heck, for that matter, they have software engineers who design cell phone games like "Big Lebowski Bowling." [1] And it's likely that the Simpsons is animated in part there. [2]
Highly qualified, loyal and motivated personnel.
worker's will not abandon their positions for higher salaries once they are trained.
Lowest taxes scheme in Asia.
Stable
New market.
Transparant legal work.
Yeaa far slave labour, the most loyal workforce there ever was.
The site has been widely reported and officially confirmed elsewhere. But as you say, it's such a ridiculous country that it's likely impossible to parody in any meaningful way.
One of the things the internet allowing people to broadcast their messages free from editorial interference proves is that some people really are so "out there" as to render most attempts at parody redundant. See also godhatesfags.com and your average conspiracy theorist's home page.
Makes you wonder: Will an investor be an unethical profiteer of slave-work or will he actually provide some sort of sanctuary since the people are usually obliged to harvest rocks?
Besides, I think every investment there weakens this dictatorship in the long-run.
Might be difficult to do business there, if you try to register for a business trip, you get this stern warning:
"Articles not allowed in the DPRK:
Video-Camera, Plants, animals, drugs, explosives, weapons, any kind of
pornography, mass printed propaganda, radio, wireless or satellite
communicator (GPS), PDA phone, mobile phone (can be left at airport locker)."
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[ 3.0 ms ] story [ 43.9 ms ] threadAbout the exports they claim to do, it would be pretty fun to own a north korean motorbike.
Let me put it this way: choco pies [0] are considered bonus incentives in North Korean factories.
And a lot of folks in the West don't seem to realize that there is quite a bit of international trade involving North Korea; there's a lot of countries that aren't so picky about whom they do business with. They clearly have capable engineers and scientists. The day I left Pyongyang on the public flight to Beijing, there was an unscheduled flight to Bangkok on the airport departure board.
Heck, for that matter, they have software engineers who design cell phone games like "Big Lebowski Bowling." [1] And it's likely that the Simpsons is animated in part there. [2]
[0] https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Choco_Pie [1] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-06/kim-jong-il-bowls-f... [2] http://www.korea-is-one.org/article.php3?id_article=1856
Too bad the site is incredibly slow. Here's a link to the cached "Travel" page: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://...
Highly qualified, loyal and motivated personnel. worker's will not abandon their positions for higher salaries once they are trained. Lowest taxes scheme in Asia. Stable New market. Transparant legal work.
Yeaa far slave labour, the most loyal workforce there ever was.
It's so far out there, I become suspicious that this is a joke. But then, most of the news I hear from N. Korea falls into that category.
Do I get a bundle discount?
Besides, I think every investment there weakens this dictatorship in the long-run.
"Articles not allowed in the DPRK:
Video-Camera, Plants, animals, drugs, explosives, weapons, any kind of pornography, mass printed propaganda, radio, wireless or satellite communicator (GPS), PDA phone, mobile phone (can be left at airport locker)."