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...
A torchlight parade and evening gala marking the 11th Congress of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League in Pyongyang, North Korea

North Korea targets university students in media crackdown

North Korea's state youth organization has ordered a special crackdown on banned foreign media. It has named university students as the "primary target," a...
A North Korean vehicle with a North Pyongan province license plate travels on a street in Dandong, Liaoning province, China, in February 2019.

Residency ID rumors spark hope for North Korean defectors in China

Rumors that China may soon issue permanent residency ID cards to North Korean defectors are spreading rapidly across the country's northeast. The rumors have...
View of Sinuiju, North Pyongan province, seen from Dandong, China

New bridge stirs a housing boom in North Korea’s Sinuiju

Apartment prices in Sinuiju, a North Korean border city, have been climbing steadily since the COVID-19 pandemic. A source in North Pyongan province told...
law, trials

Wealthy North Korean youth hide old players to dodge crackdowns

Young North Koreans from wealthy families are deliberately buying old, worn-out video players instead of newer models. They can easily afford better devices. Instead,...
Supreme People's Assembly (SPA)

Purged military official’s graft case sparks outrage among North Koreans

North Korean people are calling for a sweeping investigation into corruption across the country's power organs. A senior military official's dramatic public downfall sparked...

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 26-07-19
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 →

Analyst Spotlight

Expert analysis on North Korea

Support Our Work

Help keep our sources safe and reporting

Daily NK's correspondents inside North Korea report at personal risk. Your support funds the secure communications, source protection, and editorial work that makes this reporting possible.

One of the few outlets with a reporting network inside the DPRK

Seoul-based independent media

Reporting continuously since 2004