40+ launches, 174K ethereum, 168* COVID cases: North Korea’s 2022 by the numbers

North Korea began to emerge from its self-induced COVID-19 isolation this year, and it did so with a bang — dozens of bangs, in fact, in the form of a relentless missile testing schedule.

These and other metrics, such as a rebound of trade with China, the rapid spread of a “malignant virus” and record cryptocurrency theft to boot, defined the country’s 2022. 

The following charts and graphs, built using metrics from NK Pro’s suite of research tools, shed light on the country’s inner workings throughout 2021 — by the numbers.

North Korean leader Kim