business loans

Markets, not wages, feed North Korean households

"The official salary from my workplace is about 30,000 North Korean won a month. But feeding our family of four takes more than 800,000...
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...
hamhung

Rising prices drive North Korean women toward prostitution

More women in parts of North Korea are turning to prostitution to survive amid worsening economic hardship. Police have tried posing as clients to...
cryptocurrency, cybercrime, north korea, dprk, cyber, operatives

North Korea busts elite hacking ring inside its own banks

A criminal ring hacked into the internal networks of North Korea's central bank and its main foreign trade bank. The ring used cryptocurrency to...
A welcome performance held at Pyongyang Gymnasium on June 8, 2026, marking Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to North Korea

China quietly eases customs rules for North Korea

China has temporarily eased customs rules for equipment and materials bound for North Korea's civilian economy. The move, which could reshape China-North Korea trade...
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...
Boys swim and rest along a rocky riverbank on the Yalu River near Hyesan, Ryanggang province

No lifeguards as children swim rivers in North Korea’s summer heat

North Korean children are flocking to rivers and streams to cool off during the summer heat, even on rainy days. Almost no safety personnel...

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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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