Tag: smuggling
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 orders sweeping rebuild of northern border blockade
North Korea has ordered a massive reconstruction of its northern border defenses, re-establishing landmine fields and reaffirming its strict shoot-on-sight policy against any unauthorized...
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...
Cheap North Korean coal keeps flowing into China despite U.N. ban
North Korea's mineral exports to China have recently increased, as Beijing appears to be enforcing sanctions on the North less strictly amid warming ties...
As smugglers vanish from North Korea’s border, security agents’ lifestyles take...
North Korea's crackdown on smuggling along its border with China has cut off a key source of side income for state security agents who...
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 shifts from raw material to processed goods exports
North Korea is shifting its foreign currency strategy in 2026, with trading units moving away from raw material exports to China and turning instead...
North Korea orders top-level border vigilance amid China blood alliance push
The Chinese Embassy in North Korea held a banquet on July 28, 2026. The event marked the 99th anniversary of the founding of the...
Pyongyang busts luxury smuggling ring selling to elite wives
A special task force in Pyongyang has arrested the manager of a foreign currency store and a trade official accused of smuggling luxury brands...
Satellite images show N. Korea dredging rivers on a massive scale
North Korea is carrying out large-scale sand and gravel extraction along its major rivers in 2026. Crews are deploying large dredgers and heavy equipment...
