Bit of a ridiculous article. Everyone, including the North Korean Elite, know that the country would be richer if it did a China. Its about maintaining power and maximising the profits from it. A more interesting topic would be on the incentives faced by the elite and whether they feel it is in their interests to open up at all. I seriously doubt it is.

Even if people are starving, infants are dying, what is the revolutionary risk they present. Probably very little.