North Korea's Dualistic Patent System and Law: Trends, Challenges, and Technological Focus

This article examines the contemporary technology and patent system in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) through a comprehensive review of academic literature, media discourse analysis, and quantitative patent data. By analyzing 60 volumes of the DPRK Official Journal of Invention from 2015 to 2019, this research maps the technology landscape in North Korea based on International Patent Classification (IPC) codes. The findings reveal a modest increase in overall patent applications, with a notable 10 percentage point rise in IPC Section G (Physics), indicating growing interest in basic sciences and specific areas for technological advancement. However, applications for inventor's certificates significantly outnumber patent filings, highlighting the country's continued emphasis on a socialist system despite some limited coexistence of market elements. The dualistic nature of North Korea's patent system and its underlying socialist ideology are explored, along with recent legal amendments. The North Korean patent system faces ongoing challenges due to its formal and simplistic nature, limited utilization of the patent market, and the dominance of inventor's certificates over patent applications.