IMO NK in the unfortunate geographic situation where Kim's inherited the half of the peninsula with just not enough ariable land, but not so not enough that juche isn't viable. NK with water access could probably be an alright middle (or even upper middle) income country exporting their 5-10T mineral reserves. They had enough prexisting/rebuilt industry to perhaps even export higher value processed goods + not unserious effort at socialism to avoid dutch disease. Kims playing a solid hand poorly, but the cards are still enough not to fold. Which is sad.