Evaluation of Sustainable Development Goals for North Korea and Its Implication

Abstract

This paper examines the status of sustainable development in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK; North Korea) by using panel data from 1990-2020. The derivation of sustainable development index (SDI) and the calculation of the contribution of an individual sustainable development goals (SDGs) to the SDI are conducted by employing a factor analysis with the Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The main results are as follows: First, a fluctuated SDI is derived. It shows a low value in 2007 followed by an improving trend in 2007. In the 2010s, as GDP per capita decreased after the sanctions against North Korea, the SDI also shows a decreasing trend with fluctuation. Second, Goals 1 (no poverty), 7 (affordable and clean energy), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), 13 (climate action), and 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions) show improvement over the years while Goals 4 (quality education), 10 (reduced inequality), 14 (life below water), 15 (life on land) have deteriorated. Finally, Goals 5 (gender equality) and 12 (responsible consumption and production) show an inverse U-shaped trend as the situation worsened after the 2010s. And Goal 3 (good health and well-being) show a U-Shaped trend.