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...
Title page of North Korea's criminal procedure law showing its amendment history

North Korea revises criminal law, but old habits persist

North Korea's criminal law reform has moved through four revisions since 2021. Each one has added changes that look, on paper, like genuine gains...
Title page of North Korea's criminal procedure law showing its amendment history

North Korea revises criminal procedure law, mandates defense counsel

North Korea revised its criminal procedure law in 2022 and again in 2025. The changes shortened detention and investigation periods. They also required defense...
beer, pyongyang, bar

Homemade beer outsells state brands in North Korea

North Korea beer is losing out at home to homemade craft brews and Chinese imports. Even so, the country's state trading companies are pushing...
North Korean officials inspect construction equipment at a rural housing construction site

North Korea targets housing material theft

North Hamgyong province's party committee has launched a targeted inspection campaign in 2026 to root out the concealment of construction materials and illicit wealth...
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.

North Korea rice prices drop nearly 20%

Rice prices in North Korean markets fell by nearly 20% in early July 2026, a Daily NK survey found, as seasonal supplies of alternative...
Apartment buildings in Hyesan, the capital of Ryanggang province, North Korea, photographed in August 2018.

Smugglers in Hyesan take up Chinese lessons

North Korean smugglers in their 30s and 40s are rushing to learn Chinese in 2026. The trend is driven by a string of financial...
Cargo trucks lined up outside customs in Dandong, China, waiting to cross into Sinuiju, North Korea

Cargo trucks line up at China-North Korea border in trade surge

Cargo truck traffic between China's Dandong and North Korea's Sinuiju has surged in mid-2026, with dozens of trucks lining up daily at the border...

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North Korea Market Trends

Updated 26-07-05
Exchange Rate 1 USD → KPW
Pyongyang
60,000
Sinuiju
60,100
Hyesan
60,120
Full Exchange Rate Data →
Rice Prices KPW per kg
Pyongyang
31,200
Sinuiju
31,000
Hyesan
31,300
Full Rice Price Data →

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