Tag: poverty
Behind Sinuiju’s brighter nights, a widening electricity divide
Electricity supply in Sinuiju, North Pyongan province, has improved somewhat in 2026 compared with last year. Neighborhoods near provincial and city party offices, the...
North Korea’s rural transit gap leaves a daughter unable to say...
A woman in North Korea lost both parents in a traffic accident in Kumya county, South Hamgyong province, but was unable to attend their...
Family of four found dead in North Korea’s Sakju county amid...
A family of four was found dead in Sakju county, North Pyongan province, in 2026, after reportedly struggling for some time with severe poverty,...
North Korea pushes tourism but struggling people say survival comes first
North Korean authorities are pushing organized domestic tourism ahead of summer 2026, but ordinary North Korean people facing economic hardship are responding with near-total...
North Korea’s new mining and farm housing turns vacant within years
Some newly built homes in North Korea's coal mining and farming regions are being abandoned within two years of being occupied, with the empty...
North Korea cracks down on moonshine as grain prices spike
North Korean authorities in Hyesan city have intensified a crackdown on home-brewed liquor production during the annual lean season, arguing that using grain to...
Solar energy gap widens in North Korea as only the wealthy...
North Korean authorities are urging state institutions, enterprises, and neighborhood watch units to install solar power systems to offset chronic electricity shortages, but the...
North Korean women in their 20s now refuse to date men...
Young women in North Korea are increasingly unwilling to date or marry men who lack a stable income or clear earning potential, a sharp...
North Korean market vendors turn to wig and eyelash work to...
Market traders in North Korea are increasingly taking on home-based piecework to supplement their earnings, with vendors in Hyesan turning to wig and eyelash...
North Korea’s rice price crackdown backfires as traders go underground
North Korea's Cabinet issued an emergency order on May 12, 2026, capping rice prices in the country's markets, but the move has driven traders...
