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
N. Korea touts modernized poultry farms as symbol of Kim’s leadership
North Korea's Kwangchon Chicken Farm, praised in state propaganda as a beacon of food security, is instead underscoring the disparity between governmental pledges and...
North Korea skirts Chinese customs fees through remote border crossings
North Korea is importing large volumes of Chinese construction materials, with more than 50 cargo trucks crossing the border daily from Dandong to Sinuiju....
North Korea launches campaign to mobilize citizens’ idle cash
North Korea has launched a nationwide campaign to mobilize citizens' idle cash through interest-bearing business investments. While the initiative originated with regional enterprises, it...
North Korean crab prices crash during peak season
Blue crab prices along North Korea's west coast have plunged to unprecedented lows during the peak fishing season, threatening the livelihoods of fishermen who...
“How will we survive?”: No potato rations this year in major...
Ryanggang province, North Korea's largest potato-producing region, has completely halted its annual potato distribution to local residents this fall. This is expected to cause...
N. Korea exorts building supplies from currency traders in flood recovery...
North Korean authorities are forcing arrested money changers to donate building materials for flood relief instead of sending them to labor camps, marking a...
N. Korea’s hidden market: The cat-and-mouse game of S. Korean goods
North Korean authorities have launched a sweeping crackdown on the import and distribution of South Korean goods.
A source in North Hamgyong province revealed recently...
Economic strain intensifies: N. Korean food prices surge despite fall harvest
Despite the fall harvest, the price of rice in North Korean markets is skyrocketing. A kilogram now costs over 7,000 North Korean won in...
Economic woes sour Hyesan’s fruit market despite price cuts
Fruit prices in Hyesan's markets have recently plummeted, with both domestic and imported varieties available. Despite the lower costs, vendors are struggling with slow...
Sinuiju’s booming cottage industry: Fake lashes and wigs
A surge in the production of fake eyelashes and wigs has been observed in Sinuiju as locals seek profitable work with minimal initial investment....
