A look at North Korea

North Korea is sitting on approximately $6 trillion worth of natural resources: Sources

It comes as little surprise that China is North Korea’s biggest trading partner, but who else does the country trade with? According to The Observatory of Economic Complexity, India ($97.8 mn), Pakistan ($43.1 mn) and Burkina Faso ($32.8 mn) are the top export destinations of North Korea, after China ($2.34 bn). The country is estimated to be among the most militarised on the globe with more than a million active soldiers and an air force counting 944 aircraft. Thus, it is ranked 23rd (of 133 countries) in military spending, which approximately amounts to $7.5 billion per year. According to sources, it was revealed recently that North Korea is sitting on approximately $6 trillion worth of natural resources, which the country lacks the technology or expertise to extract. The impoverished nation is quite literally sitting on a goldmine, a significant portion of which is made up of rare earth metals.  On Sunday, North Korea warned the  US of “pouring gasoline on fire” by conducting an annual war game in the South next week, amid heightened tensions between Pyongyang and Washington DC. Here is a glimpse at the key figures:

Compiled by: Adrija Shukla; Sources: OEC, CIA, Statista, Trading Economics, Top Exports