North Korea is widely known as an isolated country where the state rules everything. This makes it less attractive for entrepreneurs to do business there. Yet it is possible, proves IT consultant Paul Tjia. With his company GPI Consultancy, he has been in Kim Jong-un’s country for years.
Tjia is the head of a consultancy company that mainly deals with IT business in countries with lower labor costs. In the late 90s, this has already brought it to countries such as China and Vietnam. In 2006, North Korea also appeared on his radar when he came into contact with North Koreans, including at trade shows. ‘Over the years I have built many contacts from the country. At one point you think, let me take a look,” he says on the World Conquerors podcast.
Every year
And Tjia liked it so much that she decided to do business there. ‘I went there for the first time, and since then I try to go once a year. The country is not as static as we think, nor as strange as we often make ourselves believe».
Since Tjia has been in the country for some time, she now enjoys a little more freedom than other foreigners. ‘When you visit the country you get a certain program. It is very crowded from morning to evening. The Dutch don’t like it, and neither do I. So always try to enter. Then I slip out of the hotel, take a cab and go for a walk somewhere. It’s possible now, but it took a lot of effort to get that freedom.’
Politically incorrect
Tjia understands that many companies avoid the country. “It is politically incorrect to do anything with North Korea. And that is of course understandable due to the human rights situation, for example, but the criticism is not entirely justified. I think that as a Dutch company, especially if you do more intensive business there, you have the opportunity to improve the situation.’
According to Tjia, this requires a little more work. ‘There are opportunities to improve working conditions, but you have to want to. I see that European IT companies are based in the capital Pyongyang, with quite good working conditions.’
Also listen | Podcast: Conquerors of the World
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
