Will Sha Ri Xiang Be the Next Sinuiju Special Administrative Region Minister?

North Korea has restarted plans to promote Sinuiju as a special economic zone. However, Yang Bin, appointed as the first Special Administrative Region (SAR) minister before and chairman of the Euro-Asia group, has been excluded from the project.

Beijing’s diplomatic informants stated on August 24 that, “Yang Bin’s name was excluded from the list of candidates for the next North Korean Sinuiju Special Economic Zone minister position.”

Chairman Yang had been imprisoned for tax evasion just 10 days after he was appointed as the SAR minister in September of 2002. Sha Ri Xiang, a Korean-born Chinese emigrant and ex-mayor of Fullerton, California, is one of the most likely candidates to succeed Chairman Yang as the new SAR minister.

Informants stated that Sha Ri Xiang recently visited Tianjin to investigate the market there prior to the launch of the Sinuiju Special Economic Zone. Tianjin is also a region where many Korean companies have established bases.

North Korea also has recently established the National Economic Cooperation Commission to manage the Sinuiju Special Economic Zone.

Experts analyze that the recent North Korean move to expand the role of National Economic Cooperation Union which takes in charge of the South and the North Korean relations is targeting South Korean capital and corporate investments.

Yoo-Seong Hwang yshwang@donga.com