The New York Times obtained footage from three recent visitors to the country: a Russian tourist, a Swedish marathon runner, and a Chinese student. While the foreigners had North Korean chaperones and were not allowed to film construction sites and military personnel, they provided a rare glimpse into how Kim’s modernization plans are nurturing a new culture of consumerism in one of the world’s most isolated and authoritarian countries. The goods they encountered are out of reach for most North Koreans, who, on average, earn a little more than $1,000 a year, according to South Korea. To blunt the impact...