Tag: poverty
Rural housing delays leave North Korean families in storerooms for two...
Two years after their homes were torn down for a new rural housing project, some families in North Korea's Jagang province are still living...
North Korea expands medical insurance as new hospitals rise in cities...
North Korea is building model hospitals and pharmacies across the country while widening a new medical insurance program meant to ease the cost of...
North Koreans shun paid Rodong Sinmun app but still pay for...
North Korea's flagship newspaper can now be read through a paid Rodong Sinmun app on smartphones in 2026. According to a source in South...
Soaring prices squeeze North Korea’s vulnerable households
Rising food prices and exchange rates in North Korea are sharply eroding the purchasing power of vulnerable households. Prices have climbed sharply, but incomes...
New drivers fuel rise in North Korea traffic accidents
North Korean authorities are struggling to manage a surge in traffic accidents as private car ownership expands, with more than 30 accidents reported in...
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...
Rising prices drive North Korean women toward prostitution
More women in parts of North Korea are turning to prostitution to survive amid worsening economic hardship. Police have tried posing as clients to...
A teen’s vow to catch leeches moves North Koreans to tears
A high school sophomore in Hyesan, Ryanggang province, recently finished mandatory military training. The training is run by the Red Youth Guard, a paramilitary...
In China, North Koreans hear they’re the poor ones
North Korean authorities boast of the country's rising international standing. But in 2026, a very different story is spreading among North Korean people in...
Hunger drives North Korean children to raid state orchards
Hunger is driving teenagers in Kwail county, South Hwanghae province, to sneak into state orchards this summer. They pick peaches and plums to eat...
