“According to the source, the visiting investors are exploring arrangements under which they would supply mining equipment and technical expertise to North Korean mines in exchange for receiving raw ore as payment. The purpose of the visits is to directly assess production conditions, the state of existing equipment, and the practical feasibility of increasing ore extraction before committing to formal investment. Some investors have brought Chinese technical specialists along to evaluate equipment needs on site.”
“What makes the current round of activity particularly notable, the source said, is both its scale and its organizational form. While informal Chinese investment in North Korean mines has a long history, the simultaneous arrival of investors in such numbers, with concrete investment plans in hand, is described as unusual.”
“North Korea is also reported to be actively seeking such agreements. Its mines hold substantial reserves but face serious constraints in expanding output, including aging extraction and processing equipment, chronic power shortages, and inadequate transportation infrastructure. Pyongyang is said to favor the equipment-for-minerals exchange model as a practical workaround for the sanctions environment, in which conventional financial transactions are largely blocked.”
https://www.dailynk.com/english/chinese-investors-north-korea-mines-sanctions-minerals/