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N Korea at crossroads

Kim struggles to revive North Korean economy battered by sanctions

Life in the cities better than on hardscrabble farms, but country still reeling

SEOUL/BEIJING -- In the two and a half months since his historic summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has temporarily shelved denuclearization talks in favor of inspecting farms and factories to underscore his focus on improving an economy hamstrung by years of sanctions.

On Aug. 21, the official Korean Central News Agency reported on a visit by Kim to the Myohyangsan Medical Appliances Factory, where he berated management, accusing them of "hibernating" for years.

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