The minerals industry in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is responsible for a significant part of North Korea’s exports and accounted for 15.2percent of exports in 2005. The DPRK holds most of the total known minerals deposits on the Korean peninsula and are estimated to be 30 times more than the deposits of the Republic of Korea (ROK). The minerals production sector in North Korea lacks modern equipment and suffers from electricity shortages. Equipment in many mines is decades old and includes some materials that date back to the Japanese colonial period. Due to its economic isolation, the DPRK is unlikely to develop these resources and increase production independently. The exception is uranium mines in the DPRK that have received significant resources from the Korean People’s Army (KPA). These mines use modern equipment and transportation facilities, and their workers are accorded special status, receive preferential access to food, and other bonuses. Given its inability to redevelop the minerals sector domestically, exploitation of the DPRK’s mineral resources through linkages with South Korean and overseas consumer markets is likely to be the most profitable way for the DPRK to develop its minerals sector. Chinese and South Korean firms have the most experience in investing in the mineral sector. Mineral sector development activities and Korean-Chinese business networks can be extremely beneficial in building relations with DPRK officials and acting as intermediaries for investors.