Tag: kim jong un
Grain stores scramble the math on North Korea’s rice prices
For decades, the price of a kilogram of rice at the market has served as the single most important gauge of North Korea’s economy....
Spy agency fumes as AI specialists head to foreign ministry
North Korea is moving its top artificial intelligence (AI) specialists from its main spy agency to the foreign ministry. The November 2026 reshuffle has...
Pyongyang tenants haul water up dark stairwells
A worsening Pyongyang power shortage has left the capital’s new high-rises without elevators or running water in fall 2026. Rather than fixing the problem,...
Top grades, top class: Hyesan schools rank students
Some junior and senior middle schools in Hyesan, a North Korean border city, began sorting students into ranked classes by grades in 2026. The...
Fearing a slip, North Koreans avoid saying “unification”
North Koreans still think of South Koreans as members of the same nation, but many now fear those words could slip out at the...
North Korea taps young AI talent to stoke division in the...
North Korea’s top think tank on South Korea is now producing AI propaganda videos and online content, suggesting the Institute of Enemy State Studies...
Farm workers drop rice bundles to steal grain
North Korean farm workers are siphoning off grain during the 2026 fall harvest by secretly dropping rice bundles on the way to threshing grounds....
Nightly check-in calls rattle North Korean traders in China
North Korean consulates in China are calling regime trade officials every night around 9 p.m. to demand details on their whereabouts, meetings, and purposes—a...
Kimchi shortage exposes farm policy flaws
A poor 2026 harvest of radishes and napa cabbage is set to cause a kimchi shortage in parts of North Korea this winter. The...
North Korea courts Chinese money for Sinuiju hotels
North Korea is courting Chinese investors to build hotels and shopping complexes in Sinuiju as ties with Beijing warm in 2026. The new bridge...
