Pakistan, July 31 -- North Korea's economy expanded by more than three percent for the third consecutive year in 2025, according to estimates released by South Korea's central bank, with stronger economic and military cooperation with Russia cited as a key factor behind the growth.

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The Bank of Korea (BoK), which has published annual estimates of North Korea's economy since 1991 due to the absence of official data from Pyongyang, said the country's real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 3.5% in 2025, reaching 38.26 trillion won (approximately $26.6 billion).

According to the BoK, increased cooperation with Russia significantly supported North Korea's economic perfo...