Inside Kim Jong Il’s mind

Editor’s note: GlobalPost Passport is for people who want to become more closely engaged with events around the world. One way we do this is to hold calls enabling our members to discuss the news via conference call with GlobalPost correspondents in the latest hotspots.

Following Pyongyang’s recent nuclear test, we hosted a call with veteran North Korea correspondent Bradley K. Martin, one of the few Western journalists who has repeatedly visited the reclusive country. In the half hour conversation, Martin explained the inner workings of the Kim Jong Il regime.

Here is a brief excerpt of an exchange with a Passport member, in which Martin explains how the last remnants of the North Korean economy operate.
 

Conference calls with correspondents are a regular feature on Passport. To hear the entire 30-minute conversation and to have access to future calls, please join Passport.

Members can hear the interview here.