Tag: money
Pyongyang women shell out $300 monthly to dodge field work
Women in North Korea's capital city are competing intensely to join special "home industry" organizations that provide an official escape from mandatory farm work...
Remittances or ruin: N. Korean authorities target defectors’ families for remittance...
State security officers in Hoeryong have intensified pressure on defectors' families, forcing them to confess to receiving illegal remittances. Under relentless intimidation, many families...
N. Korean soldiers bribe commanders for coveted ‘work brigade’ assignments
Many North Korean soldiers are locked in fierce competition for coveted "work brigade" assignments, where military oversight is significantly more relaxed than standard barracks...
N. Korean security officials extort money from defectors’ families
Security officials in North Korea's northern border city of Hoeryong are pressuring families of defectors to confess receiving money from relatives abroad and surrender...
S. Koreans must think twice before selling N. Korean currency online
Many South Koreans use online secondhand trading platforms to sell unwanted items or find bargains, but selling North Korean currency on these platforms is...
N. Korean car smugglers face heavy losses as Chinese traders inflate...
Used car smugglers in Hyesan are growing increasingly frustrated over mounting debts caused by Chinese sellers charging excessive prices for vehicles.
"Large cargo trucks carrying...
Empty wallets: North Korean farmers struggle as loan sources dry up
North Korean agricultural officials are scrambling to secure funding for farming supplies as the growing season gets into full swing. However, wealthy North Koreans...
As some N. Koreans skip meals, others splurge on designer spring...
Expensive spring fashions have been selling rapidly in North Korea's major cities. While many North Koreans face food shortages with the onset of the...
Forced relaxation: N. Korean reporters struggle to fund state-granted hot spring...
Local newspaper reporters in North Korea are struggling financially despite receiving government-granted vacation rights to use hot springs. Some journalists are even borrowing money...
Banking on romance: Joint savings accounts gain popularity among Pyongyang’s university...
Campus couples at Pyongyang's universities have begun creating joint savings accounts, a trend that's slowly catching on. These "couple accounts" symbolizing commitment and genuine...
