Ryanggang province occupies the mountainous northern interior of North Korea, bordering China’s Jilin Province along the upper Yalu River. Home to Hyesan — Daily NK’s most closely covered city — Ryanggang province is a focal point of our ground-level reporting on border trade, smuggling, market conditions, and the reach of the regime’s enforcement apparatus into remote communities. Despite its geographic isolation, Ryanggang province has long been a hub of informal economic activity and cross-border exchange, making it one of the most important windows into the realities of life in the DPRK.
Tag: Ryanggang province
Elementary schools press students for fees days after fall semester starts
Elementary schools in Pyongsong, South Pyongan province, began collecting money from students within days of starting the fall semester, charging fees for a Sept....
Personal feud with watch leader triggers Hyesan brewing crackdown
A resident of Hyesan, in North Korea's Ryanggang province, lost their only source of income in 2026 after a neighborhood watch leader reported their...
In North Korea, a Chinese phone now costs as much as...
Chinese phone prices have surged along North Korea's border with China this year. Intensifying crackdowns and a halt in state-led smuggling have sharply reduced...
North Korea’s rice prices fall for the first time in two...
North Korean market prices are showing signs of cooling in 2026. The price of domestically grown rice fell for the first time in more...
New customs route opens for cars in North Korea, but brokers...
North Korea has begun allowing new cars to be imported from China through official customs channels, but few brokers are eager to take advantage...
As won crashes, rural North Koreans rush to buy dollars
A growing number of people in rural North Korea are converting their spare cash into U.S. dollars or Chinese yuan, as fears grow that...
North Korea’s wealthy still crave South Korean cosmetics despite crackdown
Demand for South Korean cosmetics among North Korea's wealthy elite shows no sign of slowing, and smugglers have begun repackaging the products into Chinese...
North Korea money-transfer brokers make a comeback amid bank distrust
Private money-transfer brokers are reviving in North Korea after a period of suppression aimed at pushing people toward banks. The distrust toward banks that...
In North Korea, homes near markets fetch triple pre-pandemic prices
Housing prices near a market in the North Korean city of Chongjin have climbed as much as three times their pre-pandemic levels in 2026....
North Korea rice prices hit 17-year high as corn costs surge
Rice prices in North Korea climbed to their highest level since the country's 2009 currency redenomination in mid-August 2026, according to Daily NK's latest...
