North Korea’s economy defies easy categorization — a nominally socialist system hollowed out by decades of mismanagement and sanctions, sustained by a sprawling informal market economy that the regime alternately tolerates and suppresses. Daily NK covers the North Korea economy through ground-level price tracking, foreign currency monitoring, reporting on economic policy directives, and analysis of how ordinary North Koreans navigate an environment of chronic scarcity and institutional dysfunction. Our market data — collected through a network of in-country sources — provides economic intelligence on the DPRK unavailable anywhere else in English.
Tag: economy
Rice prices climb again in North Korea as fresh corn drives...
Rice prices in North Korean markets turned upward again in early October 2026, even as corn prices kept falling. The split shows how slowly...
Yuan loses ground against dollar as North Korean market prices keep...
Market prices in North Korea fell for a fourth consecutive week in late September 2026, as a fresh corn harvest and easing exchange rates...
North Koreans race into the hills at dawn as the acorn...
North Koreans in mountainous parts of South Pyongan province are heading into the hills before dawn this autumn to gather acorns, and the 2026...
Satellite data shows North Korea’s 2026 crop conditions on par with...
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...
North Korea revises science and technology law, adds unpaid labor penalties
North Korea revised its science and technology law this year. The changes sharpen the criteria for choosing which new technologies enter production, and they...
Collapse at factory-run coal mine in North Hamgyong province injures worker
A coal mine collapse in North Korea's North Hamgyong province on Sept. 12 seriously injured one worker. The accident highlights how production pressure is...
Pork prices near record 160,000 won per kilogram in North Korea
Pork has become one of the most expensive staples in North Korea since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, with prices now so high...
Private traders still control goods distribution after passing through customs
North Korea has consolidated its foreign trade under officially licensed trading companies, sidelining independent traders from the import process. But once goods clear customs,...
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...
North Korea tightens control over vehicle use, expands road traffic law
North Korea enacted sweeping revisions to its Road Traffic Law in May 2025, expanding the regulation from 103 to 124 articles across eight chapters...



















