Hard-hatted miners in front of an inscribed stone monument at the 2.8 Jikdong Youth Coal Mine

What’s behind North Korea’s coal industry push?

North Korea held the second plenary session of the ninth Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea from June 20 to 22. According...
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...
Truck hauling produce past greenhouse tunnels at Yonpho Greenhouse Farm, July 2026

Hunger drives North Korean children to raid state orchards

Hunger is driving teenagers in Kwail county, South Hwanghae province, to sneak into state orchards this summer. They pick peaches and plums to eat...
Panoramic view of Hyesan city in Ryanggang province, North Korea, with the Yalu River in the foreground, August 2018

A teen’s vow to catch leeches moves North Koreans to tears

A high school sophomore in Hyesan, Ryanggang province, recently finished mandatory military training. The training is run by the Red Youth Guard, a paramilitary...
A welcome performance held at Pyongyang Gymnasium on June 8, 2026, marking Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to North Korea

North Korea orders cabinet: take China’s cash, not its culture

North Korea has issued a new China directive to cabinet officials, ordering them to separate economic gains from ideological control even as Pyongyang seeks...
Employees at North Korea's Central Industrial Art Bureau sing songs expressing loyalty to the leader, as reported by Rodong Sinmun on July 8, 2025

Pyongyang recycles old anthem to build loyalty to Kim Jong Un

North Korean authorities are reviving an old loyalty song to teach young people that happiness comes only from following Kim Jong Un. Officials are...
View from a train crossing the Yalu River, with China visible on the right and North Korea on the left

In China, North Koreans hear they’re the poor ones

North Korean authorities boast of the country's rising international standing. But in 2026, a very different story is spreading among North Korean people in...

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North Korea Market Trends

Updated 26-07-19
Exchange Rate 1 USD → KPW
Pyongyang
65,000
Sinuiju
65,100
Hyesan
65,150
Full Exchange Rate Data →
Rice Prices KPW per kg
Pyongyang
40,000
Sinuiju
40,200
Hyesan
40,600
Full Rice Price Data →

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