Nightly check-in calls rattle North Korean traders in China
North Korean consulates in China are calling regime trade officials every night around 9 p.m. to demand details on their whereabouts, meetings, and purposes—a...
North Korea courts Chinese money for Sinuiju hotels
North Korea is courting Chinese investors to build hotels and shopping complexes in Sinuiju as ties with Beijing warm in 2026. The new bridge...
Elite unit’s villa repairs spill into local markets
High-end building materials and fixtures torn out of Kim family villas and state guesthouses are turning up in North Korean markets in 2026. Many...
North Korean trucks still missing from New Yalu River Bridge
Chinese cargo trucks are rolling across the New Yalu River Bridge, but North Korean trucks have yet to join them. Two weeks after the...
North Korea screens young single women for factory jobs in China
North Korea has begun final screening of unmarried female workers in their 20s bound for jobs in China, and they could start work at...
Smuggling ban drives North Korean units to cheap Chinese work
North Korea’s foreign currency-earning units are scrambling for low-paying contract manufacturing work from China in October 2026. A prolonged crackdown on cross-border smuggling has...
New Yalu River Bridge opens, but customs delays leave trucks waiting for hours
The New Yalu River Bridge between China and North Korea opened on Oct. 15, 2026, after 12 years of delays. Slow customs clearance on...
North Korean traders turn to Chinese mixer trucks and pump trucks
North Korean trade workers are seeking concrete mixer trucks and pump trucks from China in 2026, broadening demand for heavy construction equipment. Trade workers...
New Yalu River Bridge opening sparks last-minute cargo surge on old crossing
Chinese traders are rushing cargo across the aging Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge ahead of the New Yalu River Bridge’s expected opening on Oct. 15, 2026....
New Yalu River Bridge appears set to open as signs emerge on both sides...
Signs are mounting on both sides of the China-North Korea border that the New Yalu River Bridge will finally open in October 2026. Chinese...
