A study conducted by the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (KIET) shows the North Korean economy has recovered somewhat in the last decade.

The institute says that the North Korean economy has grown each year since 2000 after having seen negative growth for nine straight years in the 1990s.

The South Korean think tank attributed the North’s economic recovery to assistance from the international community, adding that North Korea could slip into an economic slump if the provision of international aid is halted.

The North Korean energy sector has recorded the most conspicuous recovery while the machinery industry has remained sluggish.