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...
Title page of North Korea's criminal procedure law showing its amendment history

North Korea revises criminal procedure law, mandates defense counsel

North Korea revised its criminal procedure law in 2022 and again in 2025. The changes shortened detention and investigation periods. They also required defense...
Street market in Hyesan, Yanggang Province rice sellers dollar rate, markets, market

New tag rule tightens grip on N. Korea markets

North Korean market authorities in Sinuiju, North Pyongan province, have begun requiring merchants to publicly display "item inspection tags" listing a product's origin 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...
Kim Jong Un visits a Korean People's Army mechanized infantry unit in western North Korea on Apr. 25, 2026, during the 94th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army

North Korea orders surprise inspections of civilian militias

North Korea has ordered surprise inspections of civilian militias' war readiness across the country, a move a source says is intended to raise domestic...
Apartment buildings in Hyesan, the capital of Ryanggang province, North Korea, photographed in August 2018.

Smugglers in Hyesan take up Chinese lessons

North Korean smugglers in their 30s and 40s are rushing to learn Chinese in 2026. The trend is driven by a string of financial...
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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Updated 26-07-05
Exchange Rate 1 USD → KPW
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60,000
Sinuiju
60,100
Hyesan
60,120
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Rice Prices KPW per kg
Pyongyang
31,200
Sinuiju
31,000
Hyesan
31,300
Full Rice Price Data →

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