Analysis & Opinion About North Korea

Satellite map showing the pollution spread route from North Korea's Bupo mine to the Bupo saltworks and Kangnyong Bay

Satellite images show mine drainage nearing North Korea’s Kangnyong Bay

Lee Sang-yong, Bruce Sunghak Chung -
Satellite imagery shows yellow-tinted mine drainage spreading from North Korea's Bupo mine toward farmland and a saltworks in South Hwanghae province's Kangnyong county, with...
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South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump talk in the Oval Office at a 2025 White House summit

Trump plays the Kim Jong Un card amid Seoul-Washington discord

Jung Kyo-jin -
Recently, South Korea-US relations have taken a troubling turn. After North Korea's military pushed ahead with fortification work along the Military Demarcation Line, including...
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Side-by-side satellite images comparing sludge coverage at the Pyongsan uranium plant's settling pond in September 2025 and June 2026, with yellow outlines marking 0.5, 0.2 and 0.1 hectare areas of new sludge buildup.

Satellite images show growing waste buildup at North Korea’s uranium plant

Lee Sang-yong, Bruce Sunghak Chung -
Recent high-resolution satellite imagery shows that the sludge-covered area within a settling pond at North Korea's Pyongsan uranium concentration plant grew by about 0.8...
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Latest North Korea News

Cheap North Korean coal keeps flowing into China despite U.N. ban

Seulkee Jang -
North Korea's mineral exports to China have recently increased, as Beijing appears to be enforcing sanctions on the North less strictly amid warming ties...
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Officials inspect cooking oil bottles at a newly completed local industry factory in Kyongsong county, North Hamgyong province, North Korea

North Korean official kills coworker to hide embezzlement scheme

Park Hee-soo -
A North Korean official under investigation for embezzling state property killed a subordinate earlier this month after panicking that the employee's testimony would expose...
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china factory confined workers china return

North Korea skims pay hike meant for workers sent to China

Seon Hwa -
Contract wages for North Korean workers newly dispatched to China have risen sharply in recent months, but the increase is only inflating what Chinese...
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Young North Korean performers in black and white outfits dance in formation with fists raised on a red stage during the 2026 New Year Celebratory Performance at Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in Pyongyang.

North Korean teens flock to ‘dance tutoring’ inspired by slick pop choreography

Seon Hwa -
So-called "dance tutoring" is becoming popular among North Korean teenagers, as slick performance videos of singers dancing in formation with dynamic choreography catch young...
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pay, wages

As won crashes, rural North Koreans rush to buy dollars

Lee Chae Eun -
A growing number of people in rural North Korea are converting their spare cash into U.S. dollars or Chinese yuan, as fears grow that...
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North Korea Market Trends

Updated 26-08-30
Exchange Rate 1 USD → KPW
Pyongyang
68200
Sinuiju
68210
Hyesan
68220
Full Exchange Rate Data →
Rice Prices KPW per kg
Pyongyang
45100
Sinuiju
45200
Hyesan
45300
Full Rice Price Data →

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