{"id":324845,"date":"2026-06-17T19:38:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T10:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/?p=324845"},"modified":"2026-06-17T08:41:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T23:41:01","slug":"xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\/","title":{"rendered":"Hyesan residents see hope for economic relief in Xi Jinping’s visit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Following Chinese<\/a> President Xi Jinping’s visit to North Korea on June 8 and June 9, 2026, hopes are reportedly rising among the North Korean people for expanded cooperation between North Korea and China<\/a>, with many seeing improved relations<\/a> as a potential turning point for resolving the country’s prolonged economic hardship.<\/p>\n

A source in Ryanggang province told Daily NK on Tuesday that since news spread that Xi had visited the country to discuss development between North Korea and China, an atmosphere of anticipation for economic and cultural exchange with China has been forming among Hyesan<\/a> residents.<\/p>\n

According to the source, North Korean state media’s heavy coverage of Xi’s visit has heightened public interest in changes to North Korea-China relations. People are especially focused on the possibility that expanded cooperation could bring an inflow of Chinese capital<\/a>, on the expectation that if Chinese companies<\/a> become involved in mineral development, factory<\/a> operations and tourism<\/a>, the local economy<\/a> would be revitalized and living standards would improve.<\/p>\n

Notably, hopes are also spreading among the North Korean people for Chinese-style reform and opening.<\/p>\n

“There have long been people who view China’s development positively and admire its economic prosperity, since China achieved economic growth by using market<\/a> mechanisms while maintaining a socialist<\/a> system<\/a>, which raised living standards,” the source said. “Since Xi’s visit, people have started saying, ‘We wish our country could be run like China now.'”<\/p>\n

Observers point out that chronic economic hardship lies behind this reaction. “What people want isn’t anything grand, just to be able to eat three meals<\/a> a day without worry,” the source said. “Eating three meals a day doesn’t corrupt anyone’s ideology. If the state simply solved the problem of making a living, loyalty to the country would actually grow.”<\/p>\n

Smugglers see opportunity in Xi Jinping’s visit to North Korea<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Not everyone views the prospect of Chinese capital flowing in through expanded cooperation positively, however. Smugglers<\/a> in particular worry that the arrival of Chinese companies could narrow the space for their own activities.<\/p>\n

“If Chinese nationals end up running shops or factories<\/a> directly, there’s a strong chance they would distribute the goods themselves instead of relying on smuggling<\/a> routes,” the source said. “There’s no shortage of concern that this could mean less work<\/a> and lower income for smugglers.”<\/p>\n

Instead, smugglers are hoping Xi’s visit will serve as an opportunity to revive smuggling activity, which has been largely halted since late last year.<\/p>\n

“Smugglers believe that if North Korea-China relations grow even closer, China’s border<\/a> defense forces, the paramilitary units that patrol the Sino-North Korean border and crack down on illegal trade<\/a>, may ease their enforcement,” the source said. “They’re saying that if smuggling routes reopen, it<\/a> would give people working in trade and transport some breathing room to make a living.”<\/p>\n

In fact, state-led smuggling, in which authorities themselves organize informal cross-border trade to bring in goods unavailable through official channels, reportedly resumed along the North Korea-China border on June 13, after Xi’s visit, with some electronics already being brought into the country.<\/p>\n

Read in Korean<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n\n \n
\n A Note to Readers<\/span>\n
<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n

Reporting from inside North Korea<\/p>\n\n \n

\n Daily NK operates networks of sources inside North Korea who document events in real-time and transmit information<\/a> through secure channels. Unlike reporting based on state media<\/a>, satellite<\/a> imagery, or defector<\/a> accounts from years past, our journalism comes directly from people currently living under the regime. We verify reports through multiple independent sources and cross-reference details before publication.\n <\/p>\n\n

\n Our sources remain anonymous because contact with foreign media is treated as a capital offense in North Korea — discovery means imprisonment or execution. This network-based approach allows Daily NK to report<\/a> on developments other outlets cannot access: market trends, policy implementation, public sentiment, and daily realities that never appear in official narratives.\n <\/p>\n\n

\n Maintaining these secure communication channels and protecting source identities requires specialized protocols and constant vigilance. Daily NK serves as a bridge<\/a> between North Koreans and the outside world, documenting what’s happening inside one of the world’s most closed societies.\n <\/p>\n\n \n

\n How We Report<\/a>\n Subscribe to Our Weekly Briefing<\/a>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to North Korea on June 8 and June 9, 2026, hopes are reportedly rising among the North Korean people for expanded cooperation between North Korea and China, with many seeing improved relations as a potential turning point for resolving the country’s prolonged economic hardship. A source in Ryanggang province […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":324846,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wikipediapreview_detectlinks":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,2084],"tags":[3238,271,714,717,735,738,759,1328,1961],"class_list":{"0":"post-324845","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"category-china-north-korea-relations","9":"tag-north-korea-foreign-policy","10":"tag-ryanggang-province","11":"tag-economy","12":"tag-smuggling","13":"tag-trade","14":"tag-hyesan","15":"tag-china","16":"tag-diplomacy","17":"tag-xi-jinping"},"yoast_head":"\nXi Jinping's visit to North Korea sparks hope | Daily NK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"North Koreans are voicing hope that Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea will bring Chinese-style economic reform and relief from hardship.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hyesan residents see hope for economic relief in Xi Jinping's visit\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"North Koreans are voicing hope that Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea will bring Chinese-style economic reform and relief from hardship.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"North Korea News \u2014 Daily NK | Latest DPRK Updates 2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-17T10:38:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/xi-jinping-kim-jong-un-pyongyang-airport-arrival.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"741\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"494\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lee Chae Eun\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lee Chae Eun\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Lee Chae Eun\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6c9f40b0a89c4a5354607f43756dbbe0\"},\"headline\":\"Hyesan residents see hope for economic relief in Xi Jinping’s visit\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-17T10:38:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":513,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/xi-jinping-kim-jong-un-pyongyang-airport-arrival.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"north korea foreign policy\",\"Ryanggang province\",\"economy\",\"smuggling\",\"trade\",\"hyesan\",\"china\",\"diplomacy\",\"xi jinping\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\",\"China-North Korea Relations\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\\\/\",\"name\":\"Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea sparks hope | Daily NK\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/xi-jinping-kim-jong-un-pyongyang-airport-arrival.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-17T10:38:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"North Koreans are voicing hope that Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea will bring Chinese-style economic reform and relief from hardship.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/xi-jinping-kim-jong-un-pyongyang-airport-arrival.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/xi-jinping-kim-jong-un-pyongyang-airport-arrival.jpg\",\"width\":741,\"height\":494,\"caption\":\"Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers' Party of Korea, reported on June 9 that Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, had arrived at Pyongyang International Airport the day before, on June 8. The newspaper said President of the State Affairs Commission Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, greeted them at the airport, and that the two sides shared what it called \\\"an emotional reunion.\\\" (Photo: Rodong Sinmun-News1)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Hyesan residents see hope for economic relief in Xi Jinping’s visit\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/\",\"name\":\"North Korea News \u2014 Daily NK | Latest DPRK Updates 2026\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Daily NK English\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/top_logo@1x.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/top_logo@1x.png\",\"width\":272,\"height\":90,\"caption\":\"Daily NK English\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"description\":\"An independent online news organization based in Seoul, South Korea, reporting on internal North Korean affairs through a network of in-country sources and defector journalists. Part of the Unification Media Group (UMG) consortium.\",\"email\":\"dailynkenglish@uni-media.net\",\"telephone\":\"82-2-732-6998\",\"legalName\":\"DailyNK\",\"foundingDate\":\"2004-12-01\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"1\",\"maxValue\":\"10\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6c9f40b0a89c4a5354607f43756dbbe0\",\"name\":\"Lee Chae Eun\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/9f4cf0f24b376077a2fcdab2e85c3584-150x150.webp\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/9f4cf0f24b376077a2fcdab2e85c3584-150x150.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/9f4cf0f24b376077a2fcdab2e85c3584-150x150.webp\",\"caption\":\"Lee Chae Eun\"},\"description\":\"Lee Chae Eun covers trade and market trends, as well as the North Korean government's surveillance and control of its citizens. She also closely follows the situation of North Korean defectors living in China. Further details about her identity cannot be made public for security reasons. Questions about her articles can be directed to dailynkenglish(at)uni-media.net.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/author\\\/lee-chea-un\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea sparks hope | Daily NK","description":"North Koreans are voicing hope that Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea will bring Chinese-style economic reform and relief from hardship.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Hyesan residents see hope for economic relief in Xi Jinping's visit","og_description":"North Koreans are voicing hope that Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea will bring Chinese-style economic reform and relief from hardship.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\/","og_site_name":"North Korea News \u2014 Daily NK | Latest DPRK Updates 2026","article_published_time":"2026-06-17T10:38:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":741,"height":494,"url":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/xi-jinping-kim-jong-un-pyongyang-airport-arrival.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Lee Chae Eun","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Lee Chae Eun","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\/"},"author":{"name":"Lee Chae Eun","@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/#\/schema\/person\/6c9f40b0a89c4a5354607f43756dbbe0"},"headline":"Hyesan residents see hope for economic relief in Xi Jinping’s visit","datePublished":"2026-06-17T10:38:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\/"},"wordCount":513,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/xi-jinping-kim-jong-un-pyongyang-airport-arrival.jpg","keywords":["north korea foreign policy","Ryanggang province","economy","smuggling","trade","hyesan","china","diplomacy","xi jinping"],"articleSection":["News","China-North Korea Relations"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\/","url":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\/","name":"Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea sparks hope | Daily NK","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/xi-jinping-kim-jong-un-pyongyang-airport-arrival.jpg","datePublished":"2026-06-17T10:38:00+00:00","description":"North Koreans are voicing hope that Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea will bring Chinese-style economic reform and relief from hardship.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/xi-jinping-kim-jong-un-pyongyang-airport-arrival.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/xi-jinping-kim-jong-un-pyongyang-airport-arrival.jpg","width":741,"height":494,"caption":"Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers' Party of Korea, reported on June 9 that Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, had arrived at Pyongyang International Airport the day before, on June 8. The newspaper said President of the State Affairs Commission Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, greeted them at the airport, and that the two sides shared what it called \"an emotional reunion.\" (Photo: Rodong Sinmun-News1)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/xi-jinpings-visit-to-north-korea-sparks-hope\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Hyesan residents see hope for economic relief in Xi Jinping’s visit"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/","name":"North Korea News \u2014 Daily NK | Latest DPRK Updates 2026","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/#organization","name":"Daily NK English","url":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/top_logo@1x.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/top_logo@1x.png","width":272,"height":90,"caption":"Daily NK English"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"description":"An independent online news organization based in Seoul, South Korea, reporting on internal North Korean affairs through a network of in-country sources and defector journalists. Part of the Unification Media Group (UMG) consortium.","email":"dailynkenglish@uni-media.net","telephone":"82-2-732-6998","legalName":"DailyNK","foundingDate":"2004-12-01","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"1","maxValue":"10"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/#\/schema\/person\/6c9f40b0a89c4a5354607f43756dbbe0","name":"Lee Chae Eun","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/9f4cf0f24b376077a2fcdab2e85c3584-150x150.webp","url":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/9f4cf0f24b376077a2fcdab2e85c3584-150x150.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/9f4cf0f24b376077a2fcdab2e85c3584-150x150.webp","caption":"Lee Chae Eun"},"description":"Lee Chae Eun covers trade and market trends, as well as the North Korean government's surveillance and control of its citizens. She also closely follows the situation of North Korean defectors living in China. Further details about her identity cannot be made public for security reasons. Questions about her articles can be directed to dailynkenglish(at)uni-media.net.","url":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/author\/lee-chea-un\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/132"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=324845"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324845\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":324847,"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324845\/revisions\/324847"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/324846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=324845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=324845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=324845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}