The North Korean economy is believed to have improved by around ten percent under the regime's five-year national economic development plan that was announced at the 2021 ruling Workers' Party congress, according to an assessment by South Korea's state-run think tank.

In a report by Korea Development Institute(KDI) research fellow Lee Jong-kyu, published Tuesday, it was estimated that North Korea saw a cumulative improvement of around ten percent with a supposed growth rate of three percent in 2025, based on data from the Bank of Korea(BOK).

The researcher said the data suggests conditions that could create the perception that the economic situation in the North has improved compared to before the five-year strategy was implemented.

During the eighth party congress held in 2021, amid COVID-19 lockdowns, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un acknowledged failures in fulfilling targets as he looked back on the previous five-year development strategy announced in 2016.

Lee predicted that Pyongyang will put forth bolder, more growth-friendly policies in its next five-year plan expected to be announced at the upcoming ninth party congress.