On September 30th, 2021, Professor Park Jin-hee of Department for the North Korean Studies of Dongguk University held an online academic report with the theme of The Contradictions and Dilemmas of North Korea's Economic Reform at the invitation of the Northeast Asian Research Center, the Northeast Asian Studies College and the Institute of Korean Peninsular Studies Institute of Jilin University. The academic report was chaired by Professor Zhang Huizhi, Deputy Director of the Northeast Asian Research Center and Director of the North Korea and South Korea Studies Institute, with Associate Professor Xuan Chunji as the on-site interpreter. The research team on the Korean Peninsula and graduate students from related majors participated in the event online or offline.

    Professor Park Jin-hee is a well-known Korean expert on North Korea and currently serves as a policy advisory committee member of the Korean Institute for National Unification. Professor Park Jin-hee expounded the economic development process of North Korea from many perspectives such as North Korea's market reform, changes in the internal and external environment, and the development of foreign trade, and analyzes the reasons why North Korea has failed to achieve rapid economic growth despite the implementation of many new economic policies, committed to promoting production development through scientific and technological progress, and promoting the modernization of enterprises through trade, and believes that it is necessary to organically combine a good surrounding environment with domestic development momentum to promote North Korea's economic growth.

    During the exchange with the students and faculty, Professor Park Jin-hee also answered questions such as the uneven economic development of North Korea, the impact of the epidemic on the North Korean economy, and the key directions of North Korea's economic development. Professor Zhang Huizhi expressed her gratitude to Professor Park Jin-hee for her wonderful lectures and academic sharing.

    This academic report was one of the series of High-end Symposium on Northeast Asia International and Regional Studies, and it is also the first international academic activity that the 2021 graduate students participated in after admission. The wonderful lecture content and in-depth exchanges between teachers and students left a deep impression on the students, enhanced the understanding of the Korean Peninsula issue and the situation in Northeast Asia, broadened the academic horizons, and had positive significance for the academic exchange activities between our institute and South Korea.