The North Korean economic structure is an exploitative structure resembling a pyramid. It is similar to
a large financial pyramid fraud, where the top does not invest the earnings, but requires the constant
flow of resources from below to support spending. The regime’s system of earning revenues relies heavily on
slavery and compulsory labor and extortion of goods. It is in many ways akin to mafia-type operations that
use a shady network of foreign trading partners, and export goods often obtained through criminal methods.
Much of the revenue generated is foreign currency that the government uses to trade with international partners, rather than reinvest in domestic infrastructure and services.