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

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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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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North Koreans working in the fields in North Hamgyong Provinc

Travel certificate bribes surge in North Korea as corruption crackdown bites

Lee Chae Eun -
Bribes for the travel certificates North Koreans need to move between regions have jumped sharply in Hoeryong, North Hamgyong province, and the government's own...
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A vendor sits at a street stall selling Gangseo mineral water in Pyongyang, North Korea

North Korean neighborhoods see rise of privately run makeshift stalls

Kim Ji-woo -
Small, privately funded stalls are springing up on street corners across North Korea, giving people a convenient alternative to official markets for everyday purchases. A...
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kim jong un

North Korean youth embrace hand gestures to express emotion

Eun Seol -
Young North Koreans are increasingly flashing V signs and other hand gestures to express their emotions, a habit that marks a clear departure from...
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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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