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...
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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...
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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....
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Latest North Korea News

Silhouette of a hacker in a hooded sweatshirt in front of a computer screen showing code

Pyongyang denies Binance hack, but its own spy disagrees

Seulkee Jang -
A North Korean intelligence officer in China believes his own country carried out the record $6.3 billion Binance hack, which contradicts Kim Yo Jong’s...
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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...
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Three North Korean women sitting down in front of kimchi.

Soaring cabbage prices push Hyesan families to skip kimjang

Lee Chae Eun -
Soaring food prices are pushing a growing number of North Korean households to skip kimjang, the annual autumn ritual of making enough kimchi to...
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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...
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Hyesan, Ryanggang Province, yalu river

Hyesan street food vendors squeezed by soaring prices

Lee Chae Eun -
Street food vendors in Hyesan are struggling to survive as ingredient costs soar in November 2026. Raising prices drives customers away, but holding prices...
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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 →

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Expert analysis on North Korea