Analysis & Opinion About North Korea

Map of forest change in North Korea from 2014 to 2025, with blue forest gains in the southwest and red forest losses in the northern mountains

Satellites show North Korea’s forests are back, but not enough

Bruce Songhak Chung -
North Korea’s first reforestation campaign under Kim Jong Un restored about 1.34 million hectares of forest from 2015 to 2025, falling 20% short of...
Read more
russia, repatriated, workers, laborers

Six deaths in Russia expose risks for North Korean workers

Lee Sang-yong -
A train slammed into a minibus carrying North Korean overseas workers in Russia's Far East in October 2026, killing six. The tragedy raises a...
Read more
grains, food purchases

Grain stores scramble the math on North Korea’s rice prices

Lee Sang Yong, Hwang Hyun-uk -
For decades, the price of a kilogram of rice at the market has served as the single most important gauge of North Korea’s economy....
Read more
Load more

Latest North Korea News

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.

Soaring grain prices bury farm workers in debt

Lee Chae Eun -
Soaring grain prices have left farm workers in North Korea’s North Hwanghae province facing a hungry winter in 2026. Many borrowed food and daily...
Read more
Exterior of the power transmission and distribution department building in Rason, North Korea

Electricity clout fuels feud over lucrative jobs in North Korea

Eun Seol -
Wives of power officials in North Korea’s Ryanggang province are fighting over lucrative artificial meat jobs in 2026, with their husbands’ rank in the...
Read more
North Korean IT workers at computer terminals with a holographic map of North Korea in the background

Spy agency fumes as AI specialists head to foreign ministry

Yoon HyeSeong -
North Korea is moving its top artificial intelligence (AI) specialists from its main spy agency to the foreign ministry. The November 2026 reshuffle has...
Read more

North Korea bans vending near Wonsan Kalma resort

Yoon HyeSeong -
North Korean authorities have tightened controls around the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone in 2026, banning street vending near the showcase beach resort. Officials...
Read more
The New Yalu River Bridge, a white cable-stayed bridge with two towers, spans the Yalu River under a clear blue sky.

Chinese drivers lose their side business on the new Yalu bridge

Seon Hwa -
Chinese truck drivers who made pocket money ferrying parcels into North Korea are souring on the New Yalu River Bridge. Since the bridge opened...
Read more

Stay Informed

North Korea, delivered to your inbox every week.

Get exclusive reporting from inside the DPRK sent directly to you — straight from Daily NK's in-country source network.

►

Published every week — concise, reliable, on time

►

Reporting unavailable from any other outlet

►

Trusted by journalists, researchers, and policymakers worldwide

Subscribe Free

No spam • Unsubscribe anytime

About Our Sources

Reporting from inside North Korea

Daily NK has maintained a network of correspondents inside the DPRK since 2004. Our sources report at personal risk — providing ground-level information unavailable from any other outlet.

►

Reporting since 2004 — over two decades of in-country coverage

►

Sources in Pyongyang, Sinuiju, Hyesan and beyond

►

All reporting verified against multiple independent sources

North Korea Market Trends

Updated 26-11-08
Exchange Rate 1 USD → KPW
Pyongyang
71,200
Sinuiju
71,220
Hyesan
71,300
Full Exchange Rate Data →
Rice Prices KPW per kg
Pyongyang
50,300
Sinuiju
50,200
Hyesan
50,500
Full Rice Price Data →

Analyst Spotlight

Expert analysis on North Korea