Incorruptible Information on North Korea? An Overview and Review of Anthropometric Assessments

Abstract

North Korea is still a hermit kingdom from where few reliable statistics emerge. Anthropometric information has been published, and physical measurements cannot be manipulated per se. With respect to the technical potential offered by incorruptible information, this paper gives the first and comprehensive overview of anthropometrical assessments of North Korea, as well as their systematic review by making use of both a qualitative discussion and a quantitative index. As many as 23 anthropometric surveys are available which is quite impressive given an otherwise statistical terra incognita. Our index shows that in qualitative terms surveys fall into three categories from those surveys conducted by international organizations dominate over refugee surveys and North Korean publications. However, no fully statistically representative and independent survey for North Korea has ever been carried out, as refugees surveys are severely self-selection biased, government surveys completely irreplicable, and United Nations surveys possibly skewed by pre-selection of regions.