In 1982, North Koreans were around 5 times better off than their Vietnamese counterparts. The intervening four decades are a story of radically different leadership in the two countries with dramatic results. Today, the situation is reversed, with per capita GDP in Vietnam 3 times higher than in North Korea. As President Trump and Kim Jong-un sit down for their second face-to-face meeting in Hanoi this week, the message from the US is clear: give away your nukes and prosperity awaits.
