Tag: non-tax burdens
North Korea cracks down on private hairdressers and barbers
Authorities in South Hamgyong province are cracking down on private hairdressers and barbers, but young North Koreans who want personalized styles are still seeking...
Hyesan school shifts cooking exam costs to students
A technical senior middle school* in Hyesan, Ryanggang province, is drawing parent complaints over a new requirement. Students in its hotel cuisine class had...
Coal towns welcome North Korea housing plan
North Korea's plan to modernize coal mining towns nationwide is stirring hope among people living in some of the country's most run-down housing in...
North Korean households squeezed by human waste quotas as state touts...
Neighborhood watch units in parts of North Korea have ordered each household to submit 50 kilograms of dried human waste as fertilizer by mid-July...
North Korea’s donju hand over rice and cash to the state...
North Korean authorities are pressuring wealthy private traders known as donju — loosely translated as "masters of money," referring to a class of entrepreneurs...
North Korea makes parents pay to feed students forced into rice...
Parents across North Korea are being pressured to supply food for their children mobilized for rice planting season, bearing costs the state is unwilling...
North Korea cooking oil distribution falls flat as prices exceed reach...
North Korea distributed cooking oil ration vouchers to mark the April 15 birthday of founder Kim Il Sung in 2026, but the state-set price...
Middle East oil shock doubles North Korea freight costs, squeezes traders
Rising oil prices driven by instability in the Middle East are pushing up fuel costs inside North Korea, with transport fees charged by private...
North Korean parents forced to feed laborers renovating schools
North Korean parents in Chongjin are being forced to cover meals, snacks and cigarettes for laborers mobilized to renovate school facilities. The costs fall...
Hoeryong factory workers face mandatory herb collection quotas
Workers in Hoeryong have been ordered to collect 3-5 kilograms of medicinal herbs per person by the end of the month. Workers say they...
