Tag: jangmadang
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 threatens asset seizure in crackdown on fuel smuggling
North Korean authorities have ordered a sweeping crackdown on illegal fuel trading, targeting Russian imports diverted onto the black market. Officials framed the order...
As won crashes, rural North Koreans rush to buy dollars
A growing number of people in rural North Korea are converting their spare cash into U.S. dollars or Chinese yuan, as fears grow that...
In North Korea, homes near markets fetch triple pre-pandemic prices
Housing prices near a market in the North Korean city of Chongjin have climbed as much as three times their pre-pandemic levels in 2026....
Donju now run many of North Korea’s state grain shops
North Korean authorities set up state-run grain sales offices to stabilize food supplies and prices, but many of these shops are now run behind...
Markets, not wages, feed North Korean households
"The official salary from my workplace is about 30,000 North Korean won a month. But feeding our family of four takes more than 800,000...
New tag rule tightens grip on N. Korea markets
North Korean market authorities in Sinuiju, North Pyongan province, have begun requiring merchants to publicly display "item inspection tags" listing a product's origin and...
North Korea rice prices drop nearly 20%
Rice prices in North Korean markets fell by nearly 20% in early July 2026, a Daily NK survey found, as seasonal supplies of alternative...
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...
Family of four found dead in North Korea’s Sakju county amid...
A family of four was found dead in Sakju county, North Pyongan province, in 2026, after reportedly struggling for some time with severe poverty,...
