Rare admission reveals economic strain in North Korea

Significance An already stretched and spartan economy has been hammered this year by anti-pandemic curbs which have hit trade, and now by severe flooding. Another typhoon is expected in coming days. Pyongyang has announced a new Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) congress, set for January, to launch a fresh five-year plan. Impacts Media reports that Kim Jong-un is comatose are without evidence and cannot be taken seriously. Claims that Kim is delegating power are misjudged; he seeks to balance key interest groups but remains very much at the helm. Rocket launches remain probable before January. Seoul sources believe Kim’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, is now number two in the hierarchy; clarification of her position is likely soon.

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Julia Richardson ◽  
Charlotte M. Karam ◽  
Fida Afiouni

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce this special issue about the “Impact of the Global Refugee Crisis on the Career Ecosystem” and summarise the key contributions of the included practitioner and scholarly papers which examine refugee business and labour market experiences. The paper also examines the impact of media reports to provide a broader understanding of the context within which the current refugee crisis is evolving. Design/methodology/approach The authors begin with a delineation of the concept of a career ecosystem in the context of refugee crises. The authors then employ this framing as a backdrop to engage in a basic analysis of business media coverage of the most recent Syrian refugee crisis, and a summary of the practitioner and scholarly papers. Findings The findings of the media analysis suggest major coverage differences between different groups of countries in the number of documents identified, the proposed aim of business engagement with refugees, and substance of the extracted statements generally. Research limitations/implications The analysis of business media coverage is rudimentary and intended only as a prompt for further conversations about how contemporary media commentary impacts on career opportunities for refugees and relevant stakeholder practices. Practical implications This paper demonstrates the importance of including broader considerations of refugee careers that explore the interaction and intersection with transnational and local ecosystem of labour markets while paying attention to the sociocultural and political refugee-host community dynamics. Originality/value This paper presents a more systems-oriented perspective and provides both practice and scholarly perspectives on the composite and dynamic nature of the refugee crisis on career ecosystems more broadly.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 288-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syagnik Banerjee ◽  
Phil Longstreet

Purpose With the ubiquitous diffusion of mobile-enabled internet, individuals are constantly immersed in both virtual and physical environments. While this causes distractions, lower attention spans and disasters such as texting while driving and walking, it also creates synergies and smoother navigational experiences. Technology developers, marketers and policy-makers are both concerned and intrigued to understand how to deploy these mobile technologies so as to optimize their disruptive impact. In this paper, the authors aim to develop a framework of dual consciousness to understand the potential causes and outcomes of individual’s simultaneous presence in physical and virtual worlds. Design/methodology/approach A careful review of past academic literature on behavior, as well as media reports of incidents of disruptions, led the authors to construct a 2 × 2 framework depicting behaviors that indicated high-low consciousness in physical, as well as virtual worlds. Findings In dual environments, individuals either dissociate from one of the environments or integrate both environments. While the former is driven by the multiplicity of irrelevant roles and goals, oblivion of relevant roles, perception of group norms and performance of practiced routine tasks, the latter is driven by strong executive control processes, focused singular goals and usage of the virtual environment to reinforce their physical tasks. The most affected parties are retailers, service providers, digital marketers and social media marketers. Originality/value Most prior research in interactive marketing examine effects of online stimuli on online behavior. This paper identifies the noise created by physical context on clicks as well as the interference created by virtual stimuli on physical purchases and service experiences.


Keyword(s):  

Headline NORTH KOREA: Kim will double down on nuclear deterrent


Keyword(s):  

Headline NORTH KOREA: Halting trade again will prevent recovery


Significance It also benefits from policies that heavily favour the domestic arms industry. This has resulted in a well-equipped modern military and a high degree of self-reliance in equipping it. However, this model may be unsustainable. Impacts Seoul will likely attempt to expand armaments collaboration with other countries to gain additional resources, technologies and markets. China’s military modernisation is an increasing concern, including in the context of potential war with China’s ally, North Korea. Threats from North Korea make air and missile defence the top procurement priorities.


Significance His nomination to run for yet another term met large protests in major towns including N'Djamena, where fighting broke out with security forces leading to arrests. In the last three years, Chad’s security and humanitarian situations have deteriorated as Deby battles escalating jihadist violence in the Sahel and the Lake Chad region, growing discontent from diverse interest groups and pressing humanitarian needs across the country. Impacts Chad and other G5 Sahel countries will seek an extension to the G20’s debt moratorium to help improve their precarious fiscal situation. The G5 Sahel will pursue expansion, potentially to include Ivory Coast and Senegal, in a bid to boost troop strength. Aid agencies will intensify their appeal for funds to help over 12 million people in need before the onset of the rainy period in June.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-72
Author(s):  
David Seth Jones

PurposeThe aim of the paper is to examine the various aspects of the 1MDB scandal including the extent and types of corruption that occurred and the action taken to deal with them. In doing this, the paper seeks to identify the reasons for the scandal and the lessons that can be learnt to avoid such a scandal in Malaysia and elsewhere in the future.Design/methodology/approachThe research for the paper is based on evidence from court hearings, reports of watchdog and regulatory agencies, media reports, and various articles and books written about 1MDB.FindingsThe paper shows that most of the scandal involved embezzlement, bribery, false declarations and bond mispricing relating to extensive borrowing by 1MDB, and entailed a global network of shell companies and individuals through which the illicit money was passed. It also shows weak governance in 1MDB, poor internal controls within banks, the failure of watchdog and enforcement bodies to take the necessary action partly due to political control over them, and overall the lack of political will to deal with the scandal.Originality/valueThe paper builds on the findings of other papers and books written on the 1MDB scandal. It does this by linking the corruption to the borrowings of 1MDB, the international network of money-laundering and bribery through which illicit money flowed, and the poor internal controls in the organisation. It also builds on previous research by highlighting the failure of banks to identify money-laundering and of watchdog and enforcement bodies to deal with the corruption. A further value of the paper is to identify the lessons that can be learnt about combatting corruption on such a scale.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-64
Author(s):  
Adefolake Adeyeye

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the implications of foreign bribery and perceptions that bribery is just a cost of doing business in Africa in light of recent reports and developments in the global attempt to curb bribery and corruption. Design/methodology/approach The research relied on primary data from anti-corruption legislation, surveys and monitoring reports and secondary data from publicly available information, journal articles and media reports to analyse recent developments in the fight against corruption with a special focus on Africa. Findings The research findings and analysis suggest that foreign bribery, which is illegal but largely carried out with impunity and perceived as a just a cost of doing business in Africa, has heavy costs on developing nations and on corporations and individuals that are prosecuted. Although much has been done to curb corruption, it seems active enforcement takes place in only a limited number of countries. There is still the need for enhanced enforcement by nations, increased societal awareness of effective measures against corruption and improved corporate compliance and responsibility. Originality/value The paper contributes practical insights into improvements and lapses in the fight against foreign bribery and corruption. Using recent and relevant analysis, the paper revisits the resilience of bribery and corruption in spite of increased anti-corruption actions and the need for multiple and varied measures. The information provided will be useful for governments, corporations and civil society in the fight against corruption, which requires constant multilateral action and examination.


2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 76
Author(s):  
Nimo Bokore

<p>Recently we have witnessed forced displacement and migration on a globalized scale and the human suffering that this creates. Since early 2014, events have escalated in Syria and other Middle Eastern countries as religious-based interest groups such as ISIS push to make territorial gains. One cannot escape media reports documenting the devastating impact this has as refugees try to reach safety, whether by crossing the Mediterranean Sea or European borders.</p><p>In this article, I present my personal experience of refugee life as a survivor of war and multiple forced migrations and as a professional service provider to immigrants and refugees who make Canada their new home. In many ways, my story is the story of other refugees who also encounter issues of race, religion and geopolitical locations as they migrate and resettle in a new country.</p>


Author(s):  
Tej Kumar Karki

Purpose This paper asks what was the state of building-code enforcement and citizen – government collaboration in disaster preparedness when an earthquake hit Kathmandu metropolitan city (KMC) in 2015? It reviewed government documents, analyzed media reports, interviewed building-code monitoring officers and carried out a detailed case study of the earthquake-damaged Park View Horizon Housing Apartment (PVHA) Complex. The research found several earthquake-resilience issues. They were enforcement-vulnerability (Building bylaws, planning permit and building code); institutional-coordination vulnerability; Apartment-regulation vulnerability; technological vulnerability; and citizen-government-collaboration vulnerability. Design/methodology/approach The study area of this research is KMC, and this research is based on content analysis, field observation and interview. It has reviewed all the newspapers and media reports that had covered earthquake issues during and after the 2015 disaster, as well as the articles published in Nepal, South Asia, the USA, New Zealand and Haiti. The literature on Nepal’s building code, seismic history and institutional arrangements for governing earthquake-related issues were reviewed. After field observation of some of the damaged apartments, a detailed case study of PVHA Complex was carried out. Findings The research found several earthquake-resilience issues. They were enforcement-vulnerability (Building bylaws, planning permit and building code); institutional-coordination vulnerability; Apartment-regulation vulnerability; technological vulnerability; and citizen-government-collaboration vulnerability Research limitations/implications A limitation of this study was its heavy reliance on content analysis, one case study and a few interviews and discussions with affected residents, local governments and developers. Practical implications This study would help enhance disaster governance in developing nations. Social implications The citizen–government collaborative approach to earthquake resilience would enhance human resilience to disaster at individual and community levels. Originality/value Since this is the first research carried out on the state of building code and institutional resilience at the time of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, it is original and provides policy insights for earthquake resilience in Nepal.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document