Image differencing map showing nighttime light increases across downtown Sinuiju and Wihwa Island greenhouse farm

Behind Sinuiju’s brighter nights, a widening electricity divide

Electricity supply in Sinuiju, North Pyongan province, has improved somewhat in 2026 compared with last year. Neighborhoods near provincial and city party offices, the...
Side-by-side satellite comparison of the newly built Samsa and Sangdan train stations, showing their identical rectangular design and orange roofs

Satellite images reveal flooded rail line in Ryanggang province

I analyzed high-resolution satellite imagery of Paekam county, in North Korea's Ryanggang province, and found that a hydroelectric dam has flooded part of a...
Title page of North Korea's criminal procedure law showing its amendment history

North Korea revises criminal law, but old habits persist

North Korea's criminal law reform has moved through four revisions since 2021. Each one has added changes that look, on paper, like genuine gains...
Entrance to the Quanhe customs checkpoint in Hunchun, Jilin province, China

North Korea shifts China ventures toward learning

North Korea-China joint ventures are shifting in focus, with Pyongyang moving beyond simply attracting Chinese capital and equipment to absorb Chinese production methods and...
Truck hauling produce past greenhouse tunnels at Yonpho Greenhouse Farm, July 2026

Fruit and vegetables fill North Korea’s markets as prices climb

North Korean markets are stocked with more imported fruit and greenhouse-grown produce than they have been in years, but soaring prices are leaving many...
A wide aerial view of flooded rice paddies divided by raised earthen paths, with a small tractor working one field, trees and a rooftop in the foreground, and a village and hills in the distance, in Anak county, South Hwanghae province, North Korea.

North Korea rice prices drop nearly 20%

Rice prices in North Korean markets fell by nearly 20% in early July 2026, a Daily NK survey found, as seasonal supplies of alternative...
Cargo trucks lined up outside customs in Dandong, China, waiting to cross into Sinuiju, North Korea

Cargo trucks line up at China-North Korea border in trade surge

Cargo truck traffic between China's Dandong and North Korea's Sinuiju has surged in mid-2026, with dozens of trucks lining up daily at the border...
People gathered in a front of a mine in North Korea.

Coal towns welcome North Korea housing plan

North Korea's plan to modernize coal mining towns nationwide is stirring hope among people living in some of the country's most run-down housing in...

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North Korea Market Trends

Updated 26-07-05
Exchange Rate 1 USD → KPW
Pyongyang
60,000
Sinuiju
60,100
Hyesan
60,120
Full Exchange Rate Data →
Rice Prices KPW per kg
Pyongyang
31,200
Sinuiju
31,000
Hyesan
31,300
Full Rice Price Data →

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