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 increasingly stages raids on donju-owned businesses
North Korean authorities are increasingly conducting raids on businesses run by donju as part of efforts to strengthen state control over the economy and...
N. Korea pursues anti-corruption crusade amid COVID-19 fears
Even as the country devotes its efforts to dealing with the coronavirus outbreak, North Korea’s leadership is still conducting an anti-corruption campaign. Most recently,...
N. Korea cracks down on smugglers of South Korean goods
Having closed its borders in order to combat the coronavirus outbreak, North Korea has now implemented a large scale operation to track down smugglers...
North Korea Market Price Update: March 20, 2020
All prices shown in KPW and current as of March 20, 2020.
Data: Daily NK
N. Korean real estate prices remain stable despite economic downturn
North Korea’s real estate prices have remained stable amid global fears of price falls due to the economic stagnation caused by the spread of...
North Korea Market Price Update: March 7, 2020
All prices shown in KPW and current as of March 7, 2020.
Data: Daily NK
Daily NK Snapshots from North Korea
Daily NK Snapshots are synopses of select articles from our Korean website. Snapshots provide a window into the Daily NK’s reporting—domestic news items that are...
N. Korea uses market forces to avoid face mask scarcity
North Korea suffered a brief shortage of face masks in early February but rebounded quickly to provide an abundant supply of masks, Daily NK...
North Korea Market Prices Update: February 27, 2020
All prices shown in KPW and current as of February 27, 2020.
Data: Daily NK
N. Korea orders major organizations to fend for themselves
North Korea has ordered major provincial organizations, military-run factories and other facilities to prepare a months' worth of food, signalling that the state is...
