REUTERS/KCNA North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
- North Korea is a secretive nation of 25 million people led by Kim Jong Un.
- Its isolationist policies have hurt the country's economy, but we don't know the depth of its struggles because North Korea doesn't release detailed data.
- Here are nine mind-blowing facts about North Korea's economy.
- Visit Markets Insider's homepage for more stories.
North Korea is one of the most secretive nations in the world.
The dictatorship of 25 million people has been ruled by the Kim dynasty for more than 70 years.
North Korea's economy has struggled because of its isolationist policies, yet the exact extremes of the country's hardships are unknown, as the nation doesn't release detailed data.
We do know it's a nation where the average worker takes home less than $2,000 a year, much of the population is undernourished, and citizens pay upwards of $17,000 to defect.
Here are nine surprising facts about North Korea's economy: