{"id":323030,"date":"2026-02-27T16:55:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T07:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/?p=323030"},"modified":"2026-04-07T13:37:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T04:37:10","slug":"north-koreas-long-holiday-weekend-sparks-consumer-spending-surge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/north-koreas-long-holiday-weekend-sparks-consumer-spending-surge\/","title":{"rendered":"North Korea&#8217;s long holiday weekend sparks consumer spending surge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">North Koreans went on an unusual consumer spending spree over an extended holiday weekend in mid-February, when the conjunction of Kim Jong Il&#8217;s birthday on Feb. 16 and the Lunar New Year on Feb. 17 gave residents of North Pyongan province more time and motivation to visit bathhouses, stock up on groceries, and book karaoke rooms.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">According to a source in North Pyongan province recently, who requested anonymity for security reasons, the increased consumer spending over the extended holiday had been a boon for businesses.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Bathhouses and saunas were especially crowded during the holidays. Amid the crush of customers, bathhouses in Yomju county and other parts of North Pyongan province had to resort to unusual practices, limiting visits to 40 minutes or moving to a reservation system to avoid exceeding capacity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">&#8220;Getting squeaky clean on the New Year has become customary here, so bathhouses in particular saw a particularly large number of guests. Since people can&#8217;t count on hot water at their homes nowadays, the extended holiday was viewed as a good time to concentrate on good hygiene,&#8221; the source said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Stores and marketplaces were also unusually crowded over the holidays. While it is typical for North Koreans to stock up on groceries before big holidays, demand was boosted by people purchasing modest gifts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">&#8220;The festive atmosphere led to more impulse purchases than usual,&#8221; the source remarked.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"><strong>Karaoke and cultural outings draw younger crowds<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Many North Koreans apparently took advantage of their time off to indulge in karaoke nights and other cultural and recreational activities. That was especially common among younger people, who have taken to chipping in for the cost of an activity, instead of letting the oldest person cover the bill.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">&#8220;Karaoke rooms that cost $50 for three hours were very popular. That&#8217;s not so expensive if you split the cost six or seven ways, so a lot of people had their hearts set on going out for karaoke over the holidays,&#8221; the source said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">The surge in consumer spending over the holidays appears to have been driven by a combination of old customs and a pent-up urge to escape from North Korea&#8217;s strictly controlled routine. But it remains to be seen how long this holiday extravagance will invigorate the country&#8217;s sluggish domestic market.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/20260224-1\/\">Read in Korean<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<!-- Daily NK \u2014 A Note to Readers \u2014 End of Article Pattern -->\n<div style=\"background:#1a1a1a;border-top:3px solid #cc0000;padding:0;margin-top:32px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;\">\n  <div style=\"padding:20px 24px 24px;\">\n\n    <!-- Header row -->\n    <div style=\"display:flex;align-items:center;gap:12px;margin-bottom:14px;\">\n      <span style=\"background:#cc0000;color:#fff;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:9px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.15em;text-transform:uppercase;padding:3px 8px;flex-shrink:0;\">A Note to Readers<\/span>\n      <div style=\"flex:1;height:1px;background:#333;\"><\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Intro line -->\n    <p style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif;font-size:15px;color:#fff;font-weight:normal;line-height:1.4;margin:0 0 12px;\">Reporting from inside North Korea<\/p>\n\n    <!-- Body -->\n    <p style=\"font-family:Georgia,serif;font-size:13px;color:#bbb;line-height:1.75;margin:0 0 16px;\">\n      Daily NK operates networks of sources inside North Korea who document events in real-time and transmit information through secure channels. 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