Digital map details foreign activities in North Korea

As North Korea steps up efforts to reach out to foreign donors and investors amid long-strained ties with South Korea, a Washington-based group on Tuesday unveiled a rare online map about foreign activities in the secretive nation over the past years. The map, http://www.engagedprk.org, offers a visual record of where and how foreign investors and organizations have been building working relationships in the North from 1995 to 2012, according to the "Engage DPRK" Mapping Initiative. DPRK is the acronym for the North's official name, Democratic People's Republi c of Korea. "When we think of the DPRK, it's easy to only focus on reports of a closed-off country at the center of persistent political tension on security concerns," Jiehae Blackman, founder and director of the group, said in a news release. "However, building relationships takes time and commitment, and this online map illustrates how, since 1995, foreign organizations have persevered in engaging thoughtfully and creatively with the country." For instance, the map shows humanitarian aid gradually increased after 1995 until a significant dip in 2006, and another dip in 2009. The timing of those dips coincides with remarkable events, including the North's nuclear tests. The map also demonstrates that foreign engagement has been more highly concentrated around Pyongyang and areas surrounding the capital, while other parts of the country were more sparingly accessed. Blackman said the map is expected to help foreigners with plans for projects in North Korea as well as policymakers and scholars around the world seeking ways of engaging the North Korean people. North Korean authorities said they have been streamlining procedures for foreigners to do businesses in the nation. The North also said it has lowered corporate and income taxes for foreign firms.