# I believe that North Korea is going to fall soon. How can I profit? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 20, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-believe-that-north-korea-is-going-to-fall-soon-how-can-i-profit/613447 "2012-02-20T19:10:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-believe-that-north-korea-is-going-to-fall-soon-how-can-i-profit/613447/21 "2012-02-22T04:02:46Z")
Collect underpants. Seriously, there’s a critical shortage of underpants over there. Lots of pent-up demand. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-believe-that-north-korea-is-going-to-fall-soon-how-can-i-profit/613447/22 "2012-02-22T04:26:03Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > A square deal through and through, and I accept your terms. > > ETA: I will be satisfied with won from either North or South Korea. You know, depending who wins. Ahh, but will we value the North Korean at the ‘official rate’ or the street rate? ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-believe-that-north-korea-is-going-to-fall-soon-how-can-i-profit/613447/23 "2012-02-22T05:48:49Z")
_“When there’s blood in the streets, buy property.”_ ~Arthur Case ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-believe-that-north-korea-is-going-to-fall-soon-how-can-i-profit/613447/24 "2012-02-22T11:15:03Z")
> [@](#): > > What most people don’t seem to realize is that there is just as much money to be made out of the wreckage of a civilization as from the upbuilding of one." -Margaret Mitchell, Gone With the Wind, Ch. 9 ---
**Author:** ![spankthecrumpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@spankthecrumpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spankthecrumpet)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-believe-that-north-korea-is-going-to-fall-soon-how-can-i-profit/613447/25 "2012-02-22T14:07:09Z")
How about trying to serve some kind of economic purpose? Just looking to “profit” probably means you have to make a bet with a bookie or other willing person. For what it’s worth, I will give you evens on it collapsing during the next 12 months. Your size, big boy. For example, if there is any dishonoured north korean debt still avaliable to buy, you could probably buy a million dollars worth for $5. I learned from an interesting book written by a guy who died of liver cancer who lived in pyongyang for a year in the late 80s they had plenty of it, but I don’t know if any of it was in the form of securities or still exists. The book, which is fascinating, is [here](http://www.aidanfc.net/a_year_in_pyongyang_1.html). Or perhaps you could start doing business there now. Doesn’t really have to make any money, just break even. If the place collapses you are in prime position to be a “consultant” - there’ll be huge demand and very little supply. The other thing you could do that would be useful is to provide insurance to people who would be in trouble if the regime doesn’t collapse - I don’t know who these people/firms are, but they must exist. If it collapses, then you don’t have to pay out. Easy money. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-believe-that-north-korea-is-going-to-fall-soon-how-can-i-profit/613447/26 "2012-02-22T15:33:49Z")
> [@spankthecrumpet](#): > > Or perhaps you could start doing business there now. Doesn’t really have to make any money, just break even. If the place collapses you are in prime position to be a “consultant” - there’ll be huge demand and very little supply. This sounds like a possible winner, I wonder if there are people doing that right now. Has Jong-Un’s ascent led to increased foreign interest in investing? ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-believe-that-north-korea-is-going-to-fall-soon-how-can-i-profit/613447/27 "2012-02-22T15:51:36Z")
You can gain exposure (long or short) to Chinese and Korean stock markets through ETFs: China - [FXI](http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=FXI) South Korea - [EWY](http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=EWY) ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-believe-that-north-korea-is-going-to-fall-soon-how-can-i-profit/613447/28 "2012-02-22T18:52:26Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Because it is really, really hard to clear land of unexploded ordnance. It’s one thing to do a good job of clearing mines – but doing a perfect job is really time consuming. > > For example, here in DC, the Army tested chemical weapons in what used to be an undeveloped part of town. Every once in a while a residual weapon will be found in what is now a very nice part of town. > > The DMZ has been littered with literally millions of landmines for more than half a century. Roombas. Buy stock in iRobot. Millions upon millions of exploding Roombas; it’s only inevitable. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-believe-that-north-korea-is-going-to-fall-soon-how-can-i-profit/613447/29 "2012-02-22T18:57:11Z")
Interesting thread-if the experience of the former East Germany is any guide, firms that make concrete, and construction firms will benefit hugely. North Korea will need many infrastructure repairs and developments-so people who supply cement/building materials will benefit. This would be a great deal for South Korea-while the cost of modernizing the north would be huge, their own idustries wold boom. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-believe-that-north-korea-is-going-to-fall-soon-how-can-i-profit/613447/30 "2012-02-22T22:55:42Z")
> [@AnalogSignal](#): > > China does not want the North Korean regime to fall because they are afraid they will have millions of starving people attempting to cross their border in search of food. So I think you should make bets against China and South Korea if you want to profit off this. I don’t know how to make those bets since it may not be easy for foreigners to short stocks in China and S. Korea. Ironically China has this problem already. I would assume North korea, if it fell, would be replaced by an autocratic kleptocracy (but not as bad as the current one) so getting in good with those people would get you some money. I don’t know if they’d transition to an open liberal democracy, or what would happen. The North Korean people seem pretty (from the outside at least) brainwashed, physically sick and mentally ill (starvation and abuse screw with your mind). In fact I read that the North Korean refugees in South Korea are at risk of being a permanent underclass because of all the physical and mental illnesses they have from living in the North, combined with their inability to follow the fast pace of technology and it leaves them behind. So who knows what kind of government would replace the Kim dynasty. But the concept of a democracy with all its informed, fearless and activist civic participation may be a while off. But I could be wrong. Also shorting various markets in South Korea and China may help make some money. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-believe-that-north-korea-is-going-to-fall-soon-how-can-i-profit/613447/31 "2012-02-23T00:10:14Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > Collect underpants. DAMN, beat me to it! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-believe-that-north-korea-is-going-to-fall-soon-how-can-i-profit/613447.md?page=1)