Tag: hamhung
North Korea cracks down on private hairdressers and barbers
Authorities in South Hamgyong province are cracking down on private hairdressers and barbers, but young North Koreans who want personalized styles are still seeking...
North Koreans turn to underground app for banned information
North Korean authorities caught a university student in Hamhung, South Hamgyong province, this July for using illicit software that opens access to unauthorized foreign...
Rising prices drive North Korean women toward prostitution
More women in parts of North Korea are turning to prostitution to survive amid worsening economic hardship. Police have tried posing as clients to...
North Korean beauty salons, saunas embrace premium services
North Korean beauty salons and sauna houses are increasingly rebranding themselves as premium service providers in 2026, bundling haircuts, massages, skin care treatments and...
Homemade beer outsells state brands in North Korea
North Korea beer is losing out at home to homemade craft brews and Chinese imports. Even so, the country's state trading companies are pushing...
North Korea’s rural transit gap leaves a daughter unable to say...
A woman in North Korea lost both parents in a traffic accident in Kumya county, South Hamgyong province, but was unable to attend their...
North Korea student punished for birthday party, parents and teacher hauled...
A high school student in Hamhung city, South Hamgyong province, was subjected to a public criticism session in June 2026 after inviting classmates home...
Officers’ wives brawl over rations as money trumps rank in North...
A fistfight broke out between military officers' wives waiting for food rations in Hamhung, South Hamgyong province, exposing how money is reshaping the social...
North Korea’s mobile phone insurance scheme draws anger as claims routinely...
North Korea's state-run mobile phone insurance program promises to reimburse policyholders for theft and technical failures, but the benefits rarely materialize in practice, with...
Rising prices push North Korea housing costs out of reach for...
Housing costs across North Korea have surged two to four times their pre-pandemic levels, squeezing young couples out of the property market and prompting...
