In January Naguib Sawiris, the executive chairman of Orascom Telecom, was granted a dinner with Kim Jong-il. The rare honour reflects the fact that Orascom is probably the largest overseas investor in North Korea. Its interests are dominated by the telecoms sector, where it runs North Korea's mobile network, branded as Koryolink. Orascom owns 75% of Cheo Technology, which operates this service, while the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications has 25%. There was initial talk of a US$400m investment, but it is unclear how much has actually been disbursed.

As of September 2010 Koryolink's third-generation (3G) network service had over 300,000 subscribers, according to Orascom. However, with a population of roughly 22m there is still much scope for growth. The service is quite expensive and unwieldy, as there are separate non-interoperable channels for locals (who cannot call abroad) and expatriates. Although some quarterly operating profits have been reported, it seems unlikely that Orascom is anywhere near to recouping its investment, especially given that since 2009 it has also been working on the 105-storey Ryugyong hotel, a building that has stood unfinished for 20 years. The gaunt concrete frame is now clad with glass, but it is unclear whether this will be functional or is merely cosmetic. North Korea may well hope to entice Orascom into yet other fields of investment.