Tag: finance
N. Korea opens complaint hotline as public trust in banking system...
North Korea's Central Bank has ordered provincial branches to create systems that allow people to directly report problems that arise in financial services.
"After detecting...
Market chaos in N. Korea: Currency crisis devastates trade
A wave of inflation is crushing North Korean markets as exchange rates soar and the local currency plummets. The dollar's value has jumped 20-30%...
Market vendors in N. Korea resort to fee evasion as economic...
Struggling market vendors in Hamhung, South Hamgyong province, have begun deliberately avoiding their stalls during fee collection times as poor sales make it difficult...
Too hot to sell: North Korean merchants struggle to afford sun...
Demand for awnings has skyrocketed among street merchants as heat waves continue in North Korea. However, few street merchants can actually afford to buy...
Wonder drugs no more: N. Korea’s health supplement market turns to...
A health supplement revolution is quietly taking hold among North Korea's elite. Disillusioned with counterfeit "medicines from Ponghwa" that people mockingly call "rabbit dung,"...
Motorcycle couriers become the new hustle for N. Korean youth
A new way to make money has emerged among young North Koreans—"quick delivery" services using motorcycles. This type of work is becoming increasingly popular...
Border traders lose thousands as three-wheel vehicle middlemen go rogue
Border smugglers are making good money importing three-wheel vehicles called sambari into North Korea, but some are getting burned by intermediaries who vanish with...
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...
N. Korea launches mobile gambling despite information controls
North Korea's Samhung Electronic Wallet smartphone app now offers mobile lottery tickets with payouts worth tens of millions of North Korean won.
Users can purchase...
Cash-strapped N. Korean diplomats reveal financial struggles through airport luggage
The carry-on luggage of North Korean diplomats and trade officials departing from Pyongyang International Airport for Russia has become a topic of public conversation.
According...
