Nine youths in Chongjin face public criticism over foreign videos
North Korean authorities in Chongjin, North Hamgyong province, staged a large scale public criticism session last month targeting nine young people in their 20s...
North Korea turns to China for printing and packaging technology
North Korea is working to acquire printing equipment and packaging technology from China. Authorities want to improve the quality of product packaging, labels and...
South Pyongan officials told to silence criticism of Pyongyang construction
North Korean authorities in South Pyongan province have ordered a crackdown on public complaints about Pyongyang's construction drive. Following months of open criticism from...
Hoeryong railway maintenance drive forced onto factory and enterprise workers
North Korean authorities in Hoeryong, a city in North Hamgyong province, launched a grueling railway maintenance drive in August 2026. Officials mobilized factory and...
Personal feud with watch leader triggers Hyesan brewing crackdown
A resident of Hyesan, in North Korea's Ryanggang province, lost their only source of income in 2026 after a neighborhood watch leader reported their...
University mobilizes students to dig trenches for campus intranet
A university in Hungnam district in Hamhung city, South Hamgyong province, mobilized students for three days of trench-digging work in late August 2026. The...
Battery demand surges in North Korea as customs clearance opens
North Korean trading companies are placing sharply higher orders for batteries now that customs clearance has opened between China and North Korea, but strict...
In North Korea, a Chinese phone now costs as much as a house
Chinese phone prices have surged along North Korea's border with China this year. Intensifying crackdowns and a halt in state-led smuggling have sharply reduced...
Asian Games athletes face ideology drills before Japan trip
North Korea's ruling Workers' Party of Korea has ordered intensive ideological education for the elite athletes it plans to send to the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya...
North Korea threatens asset seizure in crackdown on fuel smuggling
North Korean authorities have ordered a sweeping crackdown on illegal fuel trading, targeting Russian imports diverted onto the black market. Officials framed the order...
