Excerpt of North Korea's Soil Pollution Prevention Act, showing the title page and Article 1, marked "Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Soil Pollution Prevention Act," adopted May 29, 2025.

North Korea codifies soil pollution law, but enforcement remains in doubt

North Korea passed a sweeping law in 2025 that regulates soil pollution from initial monitoring through investigation, cleanup and punishment of violators. The...
North Korea tactical road and bridge construction in DMZ Kangwon province

North Korea fortifies its side of the DMZ, satellite images show

I analyzed commercial satellite imagery from the United States and Europe to see how North Korea's side of the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, has...

Satellite images reveal chemical weapons potential at North Korea’s Sunchon complex

South Pyongan province's Sunchon chemical industrial complex is a sprawling hub as it was built up over the past decade on the site of...

North Korea cracks down on private hairdressers and barbers

Authorities in South Hamgyong province are cracking down on private hairdressers and barbers, but young North Koreans who want personalized styles are still seeking...
North Koreans peruse cell phones on offer

North Korea quietly hikes phone prices at the border

North Korea has quietly raised the prices of two mobile phone models sold in four border provinces, adding 500 Chinese yuan (about $74) to...
North Koreans in China forced repatriation: flags near the Tumen River border, North Hamgyong province

North Korea shifts from raw material to processed goods exports

North Korea is shifting its foreign currency strategy in 2026, with trading units moving away from raw material exports to China and turning instead...
North Koreans walk along a tree-lined street shielding themselves from the heat with parasols in a screen grab from a Korean Central Television broadcast on July 10, 2025.

North Korea issues heat wave rules as deaths surpass 100

North Korea's Cabinet held an emergency meeting and issued a detailed set of heat wave guidelines after the death toll from heat-related illness surpassed...
A farmer in North Korea with a cow.

Sick and denied rest, detainees beaten in North Korean heat wave

North Korean labor training camp detainees are collapsing from dehydration during outdoor work in the ongoing heat wave, receiving neither proper medical treatment nor...

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Updated 26-08-01
Exchange Rate 1 USD → KPW
Pyongyang
67,100
Sinuiju
67,120
Hyesan
67,130
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Rice Prices KPW per kg
Pyongyang
45,000
Sinuiju
45,100
Hyesan
45,500
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