That's more a statement of just how backwards North Korea is in an increasingly prosperous world in which the median standard of living is at an all-time high and continues to rise by the year, famines are between extremely rare and non-existent, and global poverty is at an all-time low. It looks increasingly like North Korea may be among the very last of the failed state hold-outs. Even Cuba looks like it's set to change considerably for the better in the coming years.