North Korea is supporting foreign currency transactions by providing real-time exchange rate information through e-payment apps. The authorities appear intent on promoting the use of the apps by making foreign currency transactions more convenient.
Daily NK has obtained several e-payment apps in use in North Korea, including “Apnal,” “Saebyol,” “Kangsong” and “Manmulsang,” as well as leading apps “Chonsong” and “Narae.”
All these apps support payments in North Korean won and foreign currencies and were designed to enable real-time, in-app currency exchanges.
An in-app notice in Samhung Electronic Wallet said that users could “immediately change their foreign currency in their topped-up per-currency balance into foreign currency won or local won at the state exchange rate and use it” and that “foreign currency in their topped-up balance must be changed into foreign currency won or local won for use.”
Users can top off their foreign or local currency at IT exchange centers or other designated refill sites. In other words, users can immediately exchange and use the money they topped off at those sites in the app.
In particular, since March of 2023, users have been able to send money from their Narae Card e-payment app to Samhung Electronic Wallet to top off their foreign currency balance. Daily NK has yet to confirm whether users can use other banks or cards to top off their foreign currency balances.
According to a report on North Korea’s trading system published by South Korea’s Korea Legislation Research Institute in 2000, North Korea divides currency between the North Korean won — or “local won” — and the “foreign currency won.”
The foreign currency won is a convertible currency that can be changed back into foreign currency, distinguishing it from the ordinary North Korean won. The North Korean won can be exchanged for foreign currency at the set exchange rate, but in fact, it appears distinct from the dollar and euro. Foreign currency won cannot be exchanged for local currency.
According to North Korea’s foreign currency management law, North Koreans may not directly use foreign currency — they must exchange it. Since North Koreans may not directly circulate or conduct transactions in foreign currency, the country has adopted intermediate currencies like the foreign currency won and domestic won for use in e-payments. North Korea appears to have adopted a concept similar to the foreign currency exchange vouchers used in the past to the online space.
This exchange method accords with the North Korean authorities’ intention to encourage the use of foreign exchange while restricting its direct circulation. Essentially, the authorities efficiently collect and manage the public’s foreign currency holdings by encouraging foreign currency payments in the apps.
North Korea applies different exchange rates for domestic won and foreign currency won in the apps.
According to the Jonsong app’s daily exchange rate list, the purchase price of the domestic won was 6,900 won to the dollar, while the selling price was 7,200 won as of May 22, 2023. For the foreign currency won, the purchase price was 110 won to the dollar, and the selling price was 113.3 won.
This means when changing a dollar into foreign currency won, you need 110 foreign currency won, and to change foreign currency won back into a dollar, you need 113.3 foreign currency won. A similar concept applies to the domestic won, which means the price is higher when changing currency into dollars, be it foreign currency won or local won.
According to the Daily NK’s regular survey of North Korean exchange rates, the North Korean won was trading at 8,230 won to a dollar on the street in Pyongyang, Sinuiju and Hyesan as of May 29, 2023. A significant gap exists between the unofficial exchange rate North Koreans use in the market and the exchange rate offered in the e-payment apps.
The exchange rates North Korea offers in the apps adjust over time, but Daily NK has yet to confirm whether they change in real-time like South Korea’s exchange rates.
A user’s guide to foreign exchange in the apps
To make in-app foreign currency transactions, users must enter the payment amount after scanning a QR code and changing the foreign currency type into foreign currency won. If entering the payment or transfer amount and selects the currency type (dollar, euro or yuan), the foreign currency won price appears, calculated based on the exchange rate presented in the app.
When buying dollars with foreign currency won based on the purchasing price of 110 won, users select the currency type for foreign currency won, enter “1” and selects “US$” in the following input window, and the number “1” changes to 110 foreign currency won. Press the confirmation button, and the dollar is exchanged for 110 foreign currency won.
Each app offered different convertible foreign currencies. In the Samhung Electronic Wallet, convertible foreign currencies were the dollar, euro and yuan, while the Saebyol app offered those three currencies and the Japanese yen.
In particular, the Saebyol app allows users to pay various bills such as water bills, traffic fines, parking fees and building usage fees.
The Narae app can convert 11 foreign currencies, including the dollar, yen, pound, ruble, Swiss franc and Canadian dollar. It is presumed the app allows users to change more foreign currency types than other apps because it is made by North Korea’s Foreign Trade Bank.
Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.
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