[ASIA BRIEFING]：DPRK Business Monthly: November 2015

Development: The French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) plans to establish a bureau in Pyongyang within the next few months.
Significance: This will mark the fifth foreign news agency to open in Pyongyang, alongside Japan’s Kyodo, the U.S.’s Associated Press (AP), Russia’s Sputnik International (formerly RIA Novosti), and China’s Xinhua. Additionally, it will be the second Western media outlet in Pyongyang, following AP’s bureau opened in January 2012.

Update: A two-week test of the Rajin-Khasan Project concluded on November 30, focusing on the feasibility of joint freight logistics involving South Korea, North Korea, and Russia.
Outcomes: The test involved the loading of 120,000 tons of Russian bituminous coal and ten containers of Chinese mineral water, destined for South Korea via Rajin Port.

Activity: Dutch football coach Guus Hiddink visited North Korea to inaugurate a futsal stadium for visually impaired players, part of his "Dream Field" initiative.
Influence: This marks Hiddink’s third futsal field construction in North Korea since 2007, aligning with his goal of promoting sports and physical education in the region.

Initiative: The WFP operates a program aimed at combating hunger and undernutrition among children and women in North Korea, focusing on nutrition support, livelihood restoration, and local food production.
Supplies: The program distributes fortified foods like Super Cereal and nutritious biscuits, and seeks to supplement these with commodities such as pulses and vegetable oil, depending on funding availability.

Engagement: A team of South Korean private aid providers visited Pyongyang to discuss humanitarian assistance, marking the largest delegation from the Korea NGO Council for Cooperation with North Korea.
Outcome: The delegation aimed to meet North Korean counterparts from the National Reconciliation Council, reflecting increased exchanges and humanitarian cooperation since the August 2015 agreement to reduce military tensions.

Insight: A bipartisan group of South Korean lawmakers toured the excavation site of an ancient palace in Kaesong, the first visit by lawmakers in two years.
Purpose: The visit was part of efforts to foster inter-Korean cultural and historical exchanges, following joint excavation work on the Manwoldae Palace of the Koryo Dynasty since 2007.

Survey Result: A survey of 200 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in South Korea found that 44.5% are considering business opportunities in North Korea if conditions permit.
Preferences: The most sought-after sectors for trade include food and beverages, clothing, and machinery and electronics, reflecting potential economic synergies between the two nations.

Initiative: The Gyeoremal Keunsajeon project, aimed at compiling a unified Korean dictionary incorporating vocabulary from South, North, and overseas Koreans, continues under the guidance of the Joint Board of South and North Korea.
Progress: Despite a pause from 2010 to 2014, the project is actively discussing inclusion criteria and interpretations of 25,000 vocabulary words, indicating ongoing efforts towards linguistic unification.