IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/iza/izadps/dp17872.html

Studying Economic Black Holes: Lessons from North Korea

Author

Listed:
  • Haggard, Stephan

    (University of California, San Diego)

  • Kim, Kyoochul

    (Korea Development Institute)

  • Lee, Munseob

    (University of California, San Diego)

Abstract

Some economies are “black holes” where reliable data is scarce due to government control, low capacity, or conflict. Despite these challenges, researchers have found ways to gather useful information. This paper draws on the literature on North Korea to review six key methods: satellite imagery, reports from aid agencies, trade data, prices, refugee surveys, and official documents. These sources are imperfect, and require close attention to research design and measurement error. Nonetheless, they demonstrate that it is possible to extract information from economic black holes and to draw meaningful insights about them.

Suggested Citation

  • Haggard, Stephan & Kim, Kyoochul & Lee, Munseob, 2025. "Studying Economic Black Holes: Lessons from North Korea," IZA Discussion Papers 17872, IZA Network @ LISER.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17872
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://docs.iza.org/dp17872.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael Ross, 2006. "Is Democracy Good for the Poor?," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 50(4), pages 860-874, October.
    2. Noland, Marcus, 2024. "Turning Back the Clock: The Changing Nature of North Korean Food Insecurity," MPRA Paper 120950, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Haggard, Stephan & Noland, Marcus, 2010. "Reform from below: Behavioral and institutional change in North Korea," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 73(2), pages 133-152, February.
    4. Seung-Ho Jung & Byung-Yeon Kim, 2018. "Trade Between North Korea and China: Firm-Level Analysis," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(7), pages 1475-1489, May.
    5. Kim, Byung-Yeon & Choi, Syngjoo & Lee, Jungmin & Lee, Sokbae & Choi, Kyunghui, 2017. "Do Institutions Affect Social Preferences? Evidence from Divided Korea," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(4), pages 865-888.
    6. Kim,Byung-Yeon, 2017. "Unveiling the North Korean Economy," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107183797, January.
    7. Charlotta Mellander & José Lobo & Kevin Stolarick & Zara Matheson, 2015. "Night-Time Light Data: A Good Proxy Measure for Economic Activity?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(10), pages 1-18, October.
    8. Maxim Pinkovskiy & Xavier Sala-i-Martin, 2016. "Lights, Camera … Income! Illuminating the National Accounts-Household Surveys Debate," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 131(2), pages 579-631.
    9. Noland, Marcus & Haggard, Stephan, 2007. "Famine in North Korea: Markets, Aid, and Reform," MPRA Paper 92548, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. John Gibson & Susan Olivia & Geua Boe‐Gibson, 2020. "Night Lights In Economics: Sources And Uses," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(5), pages 955-980, December.
    11. J. Vernon Henderson & Adam Storeygard & David N. Weil, 2012. "Measuring Economic Growth from Outer Space," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(2), pages 994-1028, April.
    12. Hayakawa, Kazunobu & Keola, Souknilanh, 2021. "How is the Asian economy recovering from COVID-19? Evidence from the emissions of air pollutants," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    13. Ricardo Hausmann & Jason Hwang & Dani Rodrik, 2007. "What you export matters," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-25, March.
    14. Choi, Syngjoo & Kim, Byung-Yeon & Lee, Jungmin & Lee, Sokbae, 2020. "A tale of two Koreas: Property rights and fairness," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 170(C), pages 112-130.
    15. Haggard, Stephan & Noland, Marcus, 2009. "Famine in North Korea Redux?," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 384-395, September.
    16. Kim, Kyoochul, 2020. "Finding Loopholes in Sanctions: Effects of Sanctions on North Korea’s Refined Oil Prices," KDI Journal of Economic Policy, Korea Development Institute (KDI), vol. 42(4), pages 1-25.
    17. Borin, Alessandro & Conteduca, Francesco Paolo & Di Stefano, Enrica & Gunnella, Vanessa & Mancini, Michele & Panon, Ludovic, 2023. "Trade decoupling from Russia," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 25-44.
    18. Elias Papaioannou, 2014. "National Institutions and Subnational Development in Africa," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 129(1), pages 151-213.
    19. Francisco J. Buera & Joseph P. Kaboski & Robert M. Townsend, 2023. "From Micro to Macro Development," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 61(2), pages 471-503, June.
    20. Minho Kim & Munseob Lee & Yongseok Shin, 2021. "The Plant-Level View of an Industrial Policy: The Korean Heavy Industry Drive of 1973," NBER Working Papers 29252, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    21. Keola, Souknilanh & Andersson, Magnus & Hall, Ola, 2015. "Monitoring Economic Development from Space: Using Nighttime Light and Land Cover Data to Measure Economic Growth," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 322-334.
    22. Kim, Jihee & Kim, Kyoochul & Park, Sangyoon & Sun, Chang, 2023. "The economic costs of trade sanctions: Evidence from North Korea," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    23. Chor, Davin & Li, Bingjing, 2024. "Illuminating the effects of the US-China tariff war on China’s economy," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    24. Adam Storeygard, 2016. "Farther on down the Road: Transport Costs, Trade and Urban Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 83(3), pages 1263-1295.
    25. Luis R. Martínez, 2022. "How Much Should We Trust the Dictator’s GDP Growth Estimates?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 130(10), pages 2731-2769.
    26. Donghyun Ahn & Jeasurk Yang & Meeyoung Cha & Hyunjoo Yang & Jihee Kim & Sangyoon Park & Sungwon Han & Eunji Lee & Susang Lee & Sungwon Park, 2023. "A human-machine collaborative approach measures economic development using satellite imagery," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shapiro, Daniel & Oh, Chang Hoon & Zhang, Peng, 2023. "Nighttime lights data and their implications for IB research," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(5).
    2. Krittaya Sangkasem & Nattapong Puttanapong, 2022. "Analysis of spatial inequality using DMSP‐OLS nighttime‐light satellite imageries: A case study of Thailand," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(4), pages 828-849, August.
    3. Dickinson, Jeffrey, 2020. "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: What Drives Human-Made Light?," MPRA Paper 103504, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Felbermayr, Gabriel & Gröschl, Jasmin & Sanders, Mark & Schippers, Vincent & Steinwachs, Thomas, 2018. "Shedding Light on the Spatial Diffusion of Disasters," VfS Annual Conference 2018 (Freiburg, Breisgau): Digital Economy 181556, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    5. van der Weide, Roy & Blankespoor, Brian & Elbers, Chris & Lanjouw, Peter, 2024. "How accurate is a poverty map based on remote sensing data? An application to Malawi," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    6. Felbermayr, Gabriel & Gröschl, Jasmin & Sanders, Mark & Schippers, Vincent & Steinwachs, Thomas, 2022. "The economic impact of weather anomalies," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    7. Gregor Pfeifer & Fabian Wahl & Martyna Marczak, 2018. "Illuminating the World Cup effect: Night lights evidence from South Africa," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(5), pages 887-920, November.
    8. Thomas Steinwachs, 2019. "Geography Matters: Spatial Dimensions of Trade, Migration and Growth," ifo Beiträge zur Wirtschaftsforschung, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 81, July.
    9. Giorgio Chiovelli & Stelios Michalopoulos & Elias Papaioannou & Tanner Regan, 2025. "Illuminating the Global South," Documentos de Trabajo/Working Papers 2507, Facultad de Ciencias Empresariales y Economia. Universidad de Montevideo..
    10. Omoniyi Alimi & Geua Boe-Gibson & John Gibson, 2022. "Noisy Night Lights Data: Effects on Research Findings for Developing Countries," Working Papers in Economics 22/12, University of Waikato.
    11. Gibson, John & Olivia, Susan & Boe-Gibson, Geua & Li, Chao, 2021. "Which night lights data should we use in economics, and where?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    12. Baragwanath, Kathryn & Goldblatt, Ran & Hanson, Gordon & Khandelwal, Amit K., 2021. "Detecting urban markets with satellite imagery: An application to India," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    13. repec:lic:licosd:41920 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Juan Carlos Muñoz Mora & Marta Reynal-Querol & José García-Montalvo, 2021. "Measuring Inequality from Above," Working Papers 1252, Barcelona School of Economics.
    15. repec:ags:aaea22:335528 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Juan Jose Miranda & Oscar A. Ishizawa & Hongrui Zhang, 2020. "Understanding the Impact Dynamics of Windstorms on Short-Term Economic Activity from Night Lights in Central America," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 4(3), pages 657-698, October.
    17. Kammerlander, Andreas & Schulze, Günther G., 2023. "Local economic growth and infant mortality," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    18. Bargain, Olivier B. & Vincent, Rose Camille & Caldeira, Emilie, 2025. "Corrigendum to “Shine a (night)light: Decentralization and economic development in Burkina Faso” [World Dev. 187(2025) 106851]," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    19. John Gibson & Susan Olivia & Geua Boe‐Gibson, 2020. "Night Lights In Economics: Sources And Uses," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(5), pages 955-980, December.
    20. Bluhm, Richard & Krause, Melanie, 2022. "Top lights: Bright cities and their contribution to economic development," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    21. Lessmann, Christian & Seidel, André, 2017. "Regional inequality, convergence, and its determinants – A view from outer space," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 110-132.
    22. Tanner Regan & Giorgio Chiovelli & Stelios Michalopoulos & Elias Papaioannou, 2023. "Illuminating Africa?," Working Papers 2023-11, The George Washington University, Institute for International Economic Policy.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • P2 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17872. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Mark Fallak (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/izaaalu.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.