@article{ART003387623},
author={Shin Hyewon and Kim, Euijune},
title={Satellite-Based Estimation of Gross Regional Domestic Product and Analysis of Regional Disparities in North Korea},
journal={The Korea Spatial Planning Review},
issn={1229-8638},
year={2026},
volume={130},
pages={185-205},
doi={10.15793/kspr.2026.130..010}
TY - JOUR
AU - Shin Hyewon
AU - Kim, Euijune
TI - Satellite-Based Estimation of Gross Regional Domestic Product and Analysis of Regional Disparities in North Korea
JO - The Korea Spatial Planning Review
PY - 2026
VL - 130
IS - null
PB - 국토연구원
SP - 185
EP - 205
SN - 1229-8638
AB - This study uses satelite data to estimate gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in North Korea and examines the spatial distribution, level, and structure of regional disparities. For 210 cities, counties, and districts from 1992 to 2020, value added outside agriculture, forestry, and fisheries was allocated using nighttime light data, while agricultural, forestry, and fisheries value added was estimated by integrating land-cover data with a digital elevation model (DEM). The applicability of the estimation method was indirectly assessed using official regional statistics for Jilin Province, China. Regional disparities were analyzed using a three-stage nested decomposition combining Dagum’s Gini decomposition with Akita’s nested structure. The results reveal a western inland axis centered on Pyongyang, an eastern coastal axis of heavy-industrial cities, and border nodal areas characterized by external linkages. In 2020, North Korea’s GRDP Gini coefficient was 0.51, compared with 0.32 in South Korea, and disparities between the city and county groups accounted for approximately 69% of total regional inequality. These spatial patterns may be associated with institutional characteristics identified in previous studies, including concentration in Pyongyang, heavy-industry-oriented industrial location, and the local self-reliant economic system. This study contributes by constructing long-term city- and county-level economic estimates and quantifying the contribution of different spatial hierarchies to regional disparities.
KW - North Korea;GRDP;Three-stage Nested Decomposition Method;Satellite Data;Spatial Inequality
DO - 10.15793/kspr.2026.130..010
ER -
Shin Hyewon and Kim, Euijune. (2026). Satellite-Based Estimation of Gross Regional Domestic Product and Analysis of Regional Disparities in North Korea. The Korea Spatial Planning Review, 130, 185-205.
Shin Hyewon and Kim, Euijune. 2026, "Satellite-Based Estimation of Gross Regional Domestic Product and Analysis of Regional Disparities in North Korea", The Korea Spatial Planning Review, vol.130, pp.185-205. Available from: doi:10.15793/kspr.2026.130..010
Shin Hyewon, Kim, Euijune "Satellite-Based Estimation of Gross Regional Domestic Product and Analysis of Regional Disparities in North Korea" The Korea Spatial Planning Review 130 pp.185-205 (2026) : 185.
Shin Hyewon, Kim, Euijune. Satellite-Based Estimation of Gross Regional Domestic Product and Analysis of Regional Disparities in North Korea. 2026; 130 185-205. Available from: doi:10.15793/kspr.2026.130..010
Shin Hyewon and Kim, Euijune. "Satellite-Based Estimation of Gross Regional Domestic Product and Analysis of Regional Disparities in North Korea" The Korea Spatial Planning Review 130(2026) : 185-205.doi: 10.15793/kspr.2026.130..010
Shin Hyewon; Kim, Euijune. Satellite-Based Estimation of Gross Regional Domestic Product and Analysis of Regional Disparities in North Korea. The Korea Spatial Planning Review, 130, 185-205. doi: 10.15793/kspr.2026.130..010
Shin Hyewon; Kim, Euijune. Satellite-Based Estimation of Gross Regional Domestic Product and Analysis of Regional Disparities in North Korea. The Korea Spatial Planning Review. 2026; 130 185-205. doi: 10.15793/kspr.2026.130..010
Shin Hyewon, Kim, Euijune. Satellite-Based Estimation of Gross Regional Domestic Product and Analysis of Regional Disparities in North Korea. 2026; 130 185-205. Available from: doi:10.15793/kspr.2026.130..010
Shin Hyewon and Kim, Euijune. "Satellite-Based Estimation of Gross Regional Domestic Product and Analysis of Regional Disparities in North Korea" The Korea Spatial Planning Review 130(2026) : 185-205.doi: 10.15793/kspr.2026.130..010
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