Rason Special Economic Zone was slated as far back as 1991 to be an experimental Special Economic Zone. The aim was to allow the country to experiment with a capitalist economy. This was similar in fashion to Shenzhen SEZ in southern China. Development has been very slow due to the changing political and economic conditions in North Korea. As a town close to both the borders of both China and Russia the location offers great potential.
Rason Special Economic Zone is also close to a number of ports that could allow the zone to be a future export manufacturing hub for the country.