This is “NK Market Trends,” bringing you
news about the North Korean economy every week. This week we sat down with
reporter Kang Mi Jin to discuss North Korea’s market trends; but first, let’s
take a look at how the market did this past week.
Every week we bring you the current price
of rice in North Korea as well as the exchange rate and other items of
interest. Last week 1 kg of rice was selling for 5,000 KPW in Pyeongyang and
Sinuiju, and for 4,000 KPW in Hyesan. The exchange rate has gone up a bit
since last week.
The exchange rate in Pyongyang is 8,100 KPW to the dollar, in
Sinuiju it’s 8,200 KPW and in Hyesan it’s 8,400 KPW . 1 kg of corn is selling
for 1,600 KPW in Pyongyang and Sinuiju and for 1,700 KPW in Hyesan. 1 kg of
pork is selling for 12,500 KPW in Pyongyang, 12,000 KPW in Sinuiju, and
13,500 KPW in Hyesan.
Gasoline in Pyongyang and Sinuiju is 10,500 KPW per
kilogram, and 11,000 KPW per kilogram in Hyesan. 1 kg of diesel is 8,000 KPW in
Pyongyang, 8,500 KPW in Sinuiju, and 9,000 KPW in Hyesan. And that’s it for
our North Korean market update this week.
1. Now let’s talk to reporter Kang Mi Jin
about recent NK market trends. We’ve heard recently that certain items are
disappearing from the market, while certain new times are being spotted as
well. Could we talk a little about that?
Yes, certain items have disappeared because
of the North Korean authorities’ censorship and regulation, the most prominent
items being South Korean Choco Pies and coffee. Choco Pies were introduced to
North Korean workers at the Kaesong Industrial Complex and spread across North
Korea as a result. Inside sources say that no man or woman of any
age exists in North Korea who hates Choco Pies.
Coffee is, of course, a commodity enjoyed
by both the wealthy and middle class. In fact, coffee is often served on the
birthdays of elementary and middle school students. However, as I said, inside
sources reveal that coffee and Choco Pies are now difficult to find.
North Korean authorities have also cracked
down on makeup, the number one item sought after by North Korean women. The
women that mostly buy South Korean cosmetics say that the difference between South
Korean and Sinuiju makeup is that the products coming from the South contain more moisturizing components.
Cuckoo rice cookers, a North Korean
housewife favorite, are also hard to find on the open market, though sources
reveal that some secretly sell these electronics out of their own homes.
2. We’ve heard that there are also new
items that have entered the market, could you tell us about those?
Yes, we talked before about hamburgers,
pizza, and other new food items. North Korean hamburgers are typically
different from those commonly found in the South. North Korean hamburgers have
three pieces of bread, with lettuce and chicken or duck in between the layers.
There are South Korean-style hamburgers as well with vegetables, tomato, and
meat, though in addition to the traditional hamburger, they have tuna
hamburgers, fish hamburgers, and other types as well.
Many products from Southeast Asia can be
found at the market, similar to the South Korean products that have been
banned. Sources say that these products are similar in taste and quality to
their South Korean counterparts. It might be that these are the same products
that we produce in Southeast Asia. Wet tissues are a new hot item on the
market, and women in North Korea use them when they travel or for sanitary
reasons. There isn’t enough time to list every single item that our sources
have told us about, but it would be great if our North Korean listeners can
listen to how the market is rapidly changing through our broadcasts and
hopefully it can help them with their daily lives.
3. Is there any special reason why the
North Korean authorities are becoming stricter about banning certain South
Korean items from the market?
If I absolutely had to pinpoint a reason,
it would be that the North Korean authorities are afraid that using South
Korean products would incite a longing for North Korean people to be a part of
South Korean society. This could obviously endanger the Kim Jong Eun regime. In
reality, North Koreans generally consider South Korean products to be the best
because of their quality, shape, and even their packaging. They say that if
they buy Chinese products, especially Chinese-made clothes, they have to go
back and re-stitch some things because the quality is so poor. But the quality
of South Korean products is so good, that that’s never a problem.
The demand for South Korean products are
increasing as more and more of these items are being banned from being sold on
the market. There are people that bought these items before they were banned,
and the value and prices of these privately owned items are going up. And so,
in a socialist regime such as North Korea, we are seeing a very basic principle
of capitalism at play: supply and demand.
