N. Korea’s vehicle smuggling halt drives used car prices through the roof
Used car prices have skyrocketed in the North Korean border city of Hyesan since smuggling operations were suspended in mid-May. Dealers are exploiting the...
N. Korea’s market tax hikes drive underground commerce
North Korean authorities have drastically hiked market taxes in several regions, driving merchants away from official markets and toward underground commerce.
According to a Daily...
N. Korea plans to send 28,000 more workers overseas, mostly to Russia
North Korea is preparing to send up to 28,000 more workers overseas. Recruitment efforts that began last year have entered the selection phase as...
N. Korean youth drive surge in Chinese bag imports
Demand for Chinese-made bags has surged among North Koreans in their teens through 30s. The trend of choosing Chinese bags over domestic alternatives —...
North Korea probes granite mine corruption
Prosecutors have launched a corruption investigation into the management and sale of minerals from Osoksan Granite Mine.
"The Nampo party committee sent city prosecutors to...
Grain prices soar in N. Korea as won-dollar rate crosses 24,000
North Korean market prices are soaring again, with both grain prices and foreign exchange rates hitting record highs and driving continued volatility.
According to Daily...
N. Korea expands currency exchange beyond dollar, yuan
Pyongyang's official currency exchanges are expanding beyond the dollar and yuan to handle yen, euros and rubles as North Korea diversifies its trade relationships.
A...
N. Korea border smuggling suspended for weeks, leaving traders in financial limbo
State-led smuggling operations around Hyesan have been suspended for more than two weeks. North Korean smugglers who made advance payments to Chinese suppliers are...
Reality check: N. Korea’s agricultural mechanization vs. rising hand tool costs
Despite North Korea's repeated emphasis on agricultural mechanization, farmers continue to depend on basic hand tools like shovels, hoes, pickaxes and sickles. With rice...
N. Korea, Chinese firm meet to boost ginseng liquor sales
As North Korea quietly works to expand exports to China, representatives from a Chinese company selling North Korean Kaesong Koryo Ginseng Liquor and a...
