Analysis & Opinion About North Korea

Map of North Korean farmland overlaid with the August 2026 eVIIRS vegetation index

Satellite data shows North Korea’s 2026 crop conditions on par with last year

Bruce Songhak Chung -
Satellite analysis of North Korea's crop conditions in August 2026 shows farmland across the country growing at almost exactly the same pace as last...
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North Korea revises science and technology law, adds unpaid labor penalties

Lee Sang Yong, Hwang Hyun-uk -
North Korea revised its science and technology law this year. The changes sharpen the criteria for choosing which new technologies enter production, and they...
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Kim Jong Un visits a Korean People's Army mechanized infantry unit in western North Korea on Apr. 25, 2026, during the 94th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army

Why is North Korea’s loyalty language to Kim Jong Un suddenly softer?

Jung Kyo-jin -
North Korea's Ninth Party Congress in 2026 formally cemented Kim Jong Un's status as the country's supreme and unchallenged leader. Yet a recent destroyer...
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Latest North Korea News

A person seen from behind through a wire fence, wearing a light-colored headscarf and carrying a dark sack on their back, bends over green shrubs to pick something on a rocky, sunlit slope.

North Koreans race into the hills at dawn as the acorn harvest pays off

Seon Hwa -
North Koreans in mountainous parts of South Pyongan province are heading into the hills before dawn this autumn to gather acorns, and the 2026...
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North Korean women in Dandong sojourn

Chinese brokers openly advertise North Korean workers on WeChat

Seon Hwa -
Brokers in China are openly advertising North Korean workers on WeChat and other Chinese social media platforms in 2026. The ads list how many...
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A green bus travels along an elevated approach road leading to the New Yalu River Bridge in Dandong, China, with the bridge's white cable-stayed tower visible in the background.

Will the New Yalu River Bridge finally open? Border traders point to early October

Seon Hwa -
Talk of a New Yalu River Bridge opening in early October 2026 is spreading rapidly along the China-North Korea border. Rising vehicle traffic and...
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South Hwanghae grain store managers escape punishment after hiking rice prices

Park Hee-soo -
Managers of state-run grain stores in North Korea's South Hwanghae province pushed rice prices well above market rates in September 2026. Provincial authorities summoned...
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North Korean province launches student tracking app, but glitches pile up

Jeong Seo-yeong -
North Korean education officials in South Hamgyong province have launched a student tracking app for high schools. Students can now borrow library books and...
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North Korea Market Trends

Updated 26-09-27
Exchange Rate 1 USD → KPW
Pyongyang
69,100
Sinuiju
69,120
Hyesan
69,120
Full Exchange Rate Data →
Rice Prices KPW per kg
Pyongyang
40,800
Sinuiju
40,700
Hyesan
41,000
Full Rice Price Data →

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