Evidence around the world indicates that you can't keep a lid on the democratic aspirations of an increasingly wealthy population in the longer term.
NK has been under oppression for so long, I'd wager that most folks there haven't a clue about democracy. Or consider Russia.... yes, they're trying to figure out how democracy is supposed to work, but with Communism being in place for so long, the knowledge of the masses is lost and needs to be re-learned. China is going through this also. It may work, or may not. Depends on how hard the government clamps down and keeps control. And I should add, governments do not give up their power easily.