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...
View from a train crossing the Yalu River, with China visible on the right and North Korea on the left

In China, North Koreans hear they’re the poor ones

North Korean authorities boast of the country's rising international standing. But in 2026, a very different story is spreading among North Korean people in...
Employees at North Korea's Central Industrial Art Bureau sing songs expressing loyalty to the leader, as reported by Rodong Sinmun on July 8, 2025

Pyongyang recycles old anthem to build loyalty to Kim Jong Un

North Korean authorities are reviving an old loyalty song to teach young people that happiness comes only from following Kim Jong Un. Officials are...
Crowds lay flower baskets at Mansu Hill in Pyongyang marking the anniversary of Kim Il Sung's death

Elderly North Koreans recall Kim Il Sung era fondly despite hardship today

Elderly North Koreans in several regions are voicing nostalgia for the era of founding leader Kim Il Sung. They unfavorably compare today's economic hardship...

North Korean beauty salons, saunas embrace premium services

North Korean beauty salons and sauna houses are increasingly rebranding themselves as premium service providers in 2026, bundling haircuts, massages, skin care treatments and...
North Korean farm officials and women in sun hats inspect rice seedlings during weeding work at Jangkyo Farm in Kangnam county, Pyongyang.

North Korea pushes fourth weeding round, straining mobilized workers

North Korean authorities are demanding a fourth round of rural weeding this year, up from the usual three, mobilizing workplaces, neighborhood units and students...

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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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