[spottybanana]

The point was happily. North Korean regime is at the point where they don't have any other sensible option than to tolerate the black markets.

[bonzini]

There's also another reason: black markets and widespread corruption make everyone a possible target of regime purges. Remember Al Capone, folks...

[notahacker]

Also, lower level officials tend to make a lot of profit out of black markets, and selective tolerance of them doing so helps convince them that maintaining the regime and demonstrating loyalty in all other regards is in their interests.