> It's not any different from capitalists having terrible working conditions in their factories

Is it not, really? Have we read the same article?

I hate capitalism, and I hate many consequences it has including horrible working conditions for some workers, sharp inequalities, terrible incentives like preferring to produce stuff in countries with terrible laws because it's cheaper and therefore promoting horrible working conditions and terrible environmental practices, etc. I see capitalism as a worldwide oppressive system.

But this?

Capitalism is best described as both progressive to the past and regressive to a better future it prevents. The tension of NK running a revolutionary and ideological state and surviving in global geopolitics led them down this path. The more ideological would see this as biding their time for their enemies to collapse under the weight of their contradictions. However, the people in this article want to live a better world now. Unfortunately, the world and realpolitik is messier than fulfilling human desires.

Capitalism was the only thing keeping some of these NK people alive. Did you read the article?

I think the article has mistaken markets, trade, and side hustles for capitalism. These things existed before capitalism and may still exist after. Capitalism is private ownership over the means of production, and I am not sure how much ownership common people can have in a country that owns everything.

What is present here is that NK is supposedly centrally planning the economy, but there are gaps which are filled by the black markets.