N. Korea spent 530 million dollars in idolization propaganda

North Korea is known to have spent 500 U.S. million dollars in the past two years on Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il idolization propaganda. South Korean government officials said, "North Korea`s economic data including GDP appear to be improving but distortion of its economy is worsening due to such unnecessary fiscal spending." Some experts are even talking about the possibility of collapse of its economy.

According to multiple sources on North Korea on Wednesday, Pyongyang is estimated to have poured around 200 million dollars on 3,200 eternal life towers, some 400 mosaic murals and 23-meter high Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il statues at Mansudae, for the idolization of family of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In addition, about 300 million dollars were spent on 40 large facilities such as ski resorts, riding grounds and ranches aimed at publicizing it as performance of raising the public`s livelihoods.

Fiscal spending is so high but imports remain sluggish. Mineral exports to China, which take up half of North Korea`s total exports, surged to 1.46 billion dollars in 2011 from 540 million dollars in 2010, but fell to 1.45 billion dollars last year and to 1.25 billion dollars in the first nine months of this year.

North Korea experts say that the internal situation of North Korea should be looked into more objectively rather than being blinded by the superficial appearance. The South Korean government, after being reported by officials who visited North Korea and said that the North`s situation is improving, is known to have closely analyzed the current amount and volume of North Korea`s imports and budget spending. During this process, the government is known to have judged that North Korean economy can`t be sustained if the country further wastes excessive resources.