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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.

North Korea’s currency crisis drives unprecedented price inflation

North Korean markets are experiencing severe price inflation as the U.S. dollar continues strengthening against the local currency, creating economic hardship across the country. Multiple...

North Korea cracks down on illegal housing sales as real estate...

North Korean authorities have issued an internal directive targeting widespread illegal real estate transactions after discovering rampant home sales across the country. A source in...

North Korea faces grain price surge as exchange rates soar amid...

The price of grains such as rice and corn is on the rise at North Korean marketplaces as higher exchange rates drive up the...

North Korea’s model blueberry factory leaves locals without a taste

North Korea touts the Samjiyon Blueberry Drink Factory—which makes products from the blueberries that grow around the Mount Paektu region—as a model regional factory....

North Korea’s processed goods push meets cold Chinese market reality

As North Korea seeks to develop its economy by exporting more processed goods, Chinese buyers still prefer raw materials, putting North Korean traders in...

New data shows N. Korea rice prices hit highest level since...

North Korea's market rice prices have once again reached a record high. According to Daily NK's regular survey of market prices in North Korea, a...

N. Korean investigation uncovers elaborate black market scheme

Authorities in North Korea's Kilju county are investigating evidence that local orchards have been diverting seasonal fruit to black market sales. "Since mid-July, the Kilju...

Chinese factories fuel North Korea’s underground electronics market

Small electronics factories are sprouting up across Chinese border towns, quietly manufacturing devices specifically for North Korean consumers. These operations produce everything from portable...

Rice and fuel prices soar in N. Korea as won weakens...

North Korean market prices remain high after spiking earlier this month. With market exchange rates staying elevated, import prices are soaring. According to Daily NK's...

N. Korea shutters exchange centers amid currency crisis

Foreign currency service centers installed near markets and foreign-currency shops in North Korea are being consolidated. The move appears to be driven by the...

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