North Korea’s markets — known as jangmadang (장마당) — emerged from the famine of the 1990s and have since become the backbone of the country’s informal economy. Daily NK tracks grain and rice prices, foreign currency exchange rates, government crackdowns on market activity, the rise of the donju merchant class, and the broader marketization of North Korean society. Our network of in-country sources provides some of the most detailed and timely reporting on North Korea’s markets available in English.
Tag: markets
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...
North Korea’s new factories struggle as workers sent to mines
North Korea is building new local industrial factories nationwide under its "Regional Development 20x10 Policy." The policy calls for building modern factories in 20...
Soaring prices squeeze North Korea’s vulnerable households
Rising food prices and exchange rates in North Korea are sharply eroding the purchasing power of vulnerable households. Prices have climbed sharply, but incomes...
N. Korea rice prices hit record high as exchange rate climbs
Rice prices in North Korean markets have surged to a record high in July 2026. The spike follows a brief lull earlier this month,...
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...
North Korea orders custom e-bikes from China, eyes local production
North Korea is ordering custom electric bicycles from Chinese manufacturers and importing the finished products to meet rising domestic demand. At the same time,...
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...
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...
