North vs South Korea
297 articles
North Korea grain prices fall across markets as imported supply increases
Grain prices at North Korean markets fell across the board in late May 2026, reversing a sustained period of increases, according to Daily NK’s regular market price survey. Rice sold at one Pyongyang market on May 24 for 31,500 North Korean won per kilogram, down 3.7% from the previous survey
North Korean women no longer want to marry police officers. Here’s why.
A telling story has been circulating in South Pyongan province. A daughter of a local People’s Committee official was urged by her parents to consider marrying a police officer. Her response: she would rather marry a farm worker. The remark may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it captures some
Counterfeit Russian rubles flood Rason market as North Korea-Russia trade expands
Counterfeit Russian rubles have been circulating in Rason, North Korea’s special economic zone on the China-Russia border, prompting authorities to dispatch a special inspection team to trace their origin. A Daily NK source inside North Korea reported on Friday that the State Information Burea
Inspector O and the Washington Swamp Gas Machine
The bench at the Fontana dell’Acqua Paola overlooking Rome on a pleasant day might have ... The post Inspector O and the Washington Swamp Gas Machine appeared first on 38 North.
North Korea’s AFC women’s title sparks curiosity about South Korea at home
News of North Korea’s Naegohyang women’s football club winning the AFC Women’s Champions League on South Korean soil has become a major talking point inside the country, with many North Koreans expressing more fascination with the fact that the team traveled to South Korea than wit
North Koreans split on Xi Jinping visit rumors as border trade hangs in balance
Rumors of a possible visit to North Korea by Chinese President Xi Jinping are spreading inside the country, stirring a mix of hope and anxiety among border traders and ordinary North Koreans alike, Daily NK has learned. A Daily NK source in North Pyongan province said Friday that speculation about a
North Korea orders shoot-to-kill at border, coordinates defector tracking with China
North Korea’s State Information Bureau, the country’s primary domestic intelligence agency formerly known as the Ministry of State Security, has issued sweeping new directives to border security units ordering them to shoot defectors on sight and coordinate with Chinese police to track N
North Korea expands rice-paddy fish farming drive, farm workers push back
North Korea has been pushing rice-paddy fish farming as an organic, low-cost method to boost grain output and supplement the food supply, but farmers in South Hwanghae province say the campaign is running ahead of the conditions needed to make it work. A Daily NK source in South Hwanghae province re
Building a State-Controlled Knowledge Infrastructure: The Evolution of Distance Education in North Korea
More often than not, the outside world dismisses North Korean digital education as ... The post Building a State-Controlled Knowledge Infrastructure: The Evolution of Distance Education in North Korea appeared first on 38 North.
North Korea ramps up Chinese medical equipment imports amid healthcare modernization push
North Korea is importing a growing volume of Chinese medical equipment as authorities push to modernize healthcare facilities nationwide, with demand for pharmaceutical packaging machinery also rising alongside a parallel drive to expand domestic drug production. A source in North Pyongan province t
North Korea grain stores more stable in 2026, but quality complaints persist
North Korea’s state-run grain stores are operating more reliably than in previous years, but the grain they sell continues to draw complaints about poor quality. According to Daily NK sources, grain stores in both cities sell grain once or twice a month, with twice a month being the more commo
North Korea soldiers forced into soybean farming say officers take the best of the harvest
North Korean soldiers stationed in Hamhung, the capital of South Hamgyong province, have been mobilized en masse for soybean planting on military-run auxiliary farms, with a deadline set for the end of May 2026. Even as military authorities frame the farming work as a way to improve soldiers’
Chinese smugglers foiled at North Korea border despite hopes for post-Trump thaw
Chinese smugglers along the Jilin province border with North Korea attempted to move goods across the river on the nights of May 20 and 21, 2026, but were turned back each time by Chinese border patrol units. Many smugglers had expected enforcement to ease following U.S. President Donald Trump’
North Korea orders TV dramas to be more entertaining, tightening ideological grip in the process
North Korea’s state film authority has issued a sweeping directive ordering its television drama production unit to make shows more entertaining and modern while tightening ideological controls across every element of production, sending writers and directors into a state of acute anxiety. A s
North Korea opts for re-education over prison for South Korean content viewers, baffling onlookers
Four young North Koreans caught watching a South Korean romance drama were subjected to a public criticism session rather than criminal prosecution, a response so lenient it surprised observers who had expected far harsher punishment. A source in South Pyongan province told Daily NK that the inspect
North Koreans abandoning market stalls drive surge in Hyesan street trading conflicts
Street vendors in Hyesan are clashing over prime selling spots as growing numbers of North Koreans abandon state market stalls they can no longer afford, spilling out into the city’s streets and alleyways. A source in Ryanggang province told Daily NK that fistfights between street traders have
North Korean defectors in China alarmed as Kuaishou messages reach police
Chinese authorities are monitoring North Korean defectors through Kuaishou, a popular Chinese short-video and messaging platform, raising alarm among defectors hiding in China. According to a Daily NK source inside China, a defector living in Jilin province used Kuaishou on May 11 to exchange messag
Fuel price surge strips North Koreans of intercity bus connections
Rising fuel prices in North Korea are forcing state-run long-distance bus services to cut or cancel routes, significantly worsening intercity travel conditions across the country. According to a Daily NK source in North Pyongan province, privately operated revenue buses — state-sanctioned vehicles t
Project Anthracite: Analyzing North Korean Patents and Academic Journals for Evidence of Chemical Weapons Potential
This research draws on Project Anthracite, a multiyear initiative funded by Global Affairs ... The post Project Anthracite: Analyzing North Korean Patents and Academic Journals for Evidence of Chemical Weapons Potential appeared first on 38 North.
North Korea’s wheat and barley acreage shrinks in key farming regions, satellite data shows
Satellite imagery analysis of three major North Korean agricultural regions in May 2026 shows that spring wheat and barley cultivation has declined overall compared to the same period in 2025, with gains in Pyongyang offset by significant reductions in South Hwanghae and South Pyongan provinces. Usi
North Korea’s rice planting mobilization drives an unexpected taxi boom
North Korea’s annual rice planting mobilization campaign has produced an unexpected side effect: a spike in taxi demand, as people across South Pyongan province pay for rides rather than risk being stopped on the street and conscripted into farm labor. A Daily NK source in South Pyongan provin
North Korean women in their 20s now refuse to date men without money or stable jobs
Young women in North Korea are increasingly unwilling to date or marry men who lack a stable income or clear earning potential, a sharp departure from norms that prevailed even a decade ago. A Daily NK source in South Pyongan province said Wednesday that women in their 20s in Pyongsong now treat fin
North Korean market vendors turn to wig and eyelash work to make ends meet
Market traders in North Korea are increasingly taking on home-based piecework to supplement their earnings, with vendors in Hyesan turning to wig and eyelash manufacturing after market income alone proved insufficient to cover basic living costs. A Daily NK source in Ryanggang province said Tuesday
North Korea’s mobile phone insurance scheme draws anger as claims routinely denied
North Korea’s state-run mobile phone insurance program promises to reimburse policyholders for theft and technical failures, but the benefits rarely materialize in practice, with service center staff routinely denying valid claims and demanding documentation that policyholders cannot realistic
Paving the Way for Hostile Coexistence? What North Korea’s Constitutional Revisions Mean for Inter-Korean Ties
The text of North Korea’s (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; DPRK) latest constitution ... The post Paving the Way for Hostile Coexistence? What North Korea’s Constitutional Revisions Mean for Inter-Korean Ties appeared first on 38 North.
TB cases among North Korean overseas workers put Chinese factories on alert
Multiple North Korean workers recently deployed to factories in northeastern China have tested positive for tuberculosis, raising serious doubts about the reliability of pre-departure health screenings conducted inside North Korea. A Daily NK source said on Wednesday that approximately 35,000 North
Quick Take: Progress Continues at New Yalu River Bridge Crossing
Commercial satellite imagery indicates work to build a customs and immigration center on the ... The post Quick Take: Progress Continues at New Yalu River Bridge Crossing appeared first on 38 North.
North Korea’s new elective curriculum is fueling a teacher reassignment crisis
North Korea introduced an elective subject system in its senior middle schools — the equivalent of high schools — this year, but the reform has triggered significant disruption on the ground, with teachers resisting reassignment orders and specialist training falling critically short, a source told
North Koreans flock to security-gated apartments as crime surges and coal prices climb
North Koreans in major cities are increasingly turning away from traditional single-story homes in favor of apartment buildings, particularly those with staffed security guard posts at building entrances, as rising crime and soaring heating fuel costs make standalone housing feel both dangerous and
Used car imports are fueling a booming vehicle repair industry across North Korea
A surge in used vehicle imports over the past several years has sparked a booming auto repair industry across North Korea, with dedicated repair districts taking shape in major cities as aging cars generate a steady flow of maintenance work. A source in North Pyongan province said Tuesday that trade
North Korea’s rice price crackdown backfires as traders go underground
North Korea’s Cabinet issued an emergency order on May 12, 2026, capping rice prices in the country’s markets, but the move has driven traders underground and made rice harder to find than before. A source in North Pyongan province said the Cabinet directed provincial people’s comm
North Korean fishers forced to surrender 80% of their catch as state tightens grip on seafood supply
Fishers operating out of Chongjin in North Hamgyong province are struggling to make ends meet during the peak squid season after the state expanded mandatory catch quotas, requiring registered fishing vessels to hand over 80% of their haul to state-run fishery management offices. The squeeze is seve
North Korea’s informal labor markets boom as jangmadang trade loses viability
Growing numbers of North Koreans are turning to informal day-labor markets to earn a living as tightened controls on jangmadang (the semi-official street markets that form the backbone of North Korea’s informal economy) during the rice-planting season make everyday trading increasingly untenab
North Korean donju convert apartments into duplexes to shelter wealth from state seizure
Wealthy entrepreneurs in North Korea are buying adjacent apartment units and converting them into private duplexes, a trend driven less by lifestyle aspiration than by fear that accumulated cash could be seized by the state at any moment, Daily NK has learned. The pattern, observed in Hyesan, the ca
North Korea’s massive Sinuiju greenhouse farm moves to sell fresh produce in China
North Korean trading companies are actively canvassing Chinese buyers for fresh vegetables and fruit produced at the Sinuiju Comprehensive Greenhouse Farm, a massive agricultural complex that opened earlier this year near the Chinese border. The effort reflects a broader push to diversify exports an
North Korea’s private arts tutoring boom grows even as farm mobilization season begins
Some North Korean students in North Pyongan province are skipping compulsory farm labor duty this rice-planting season by securing enrollment in school arts performance groups, and their parents are using the free time to double down on private music and vocal lessons. The trend offers a rare window
Satellite data shows mixed reservoir levels ahead of North Korea’s planting season
An analysis of recent imagery captured by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2B and Sentinel-2C satellites shows that water levels at North Korea’s major reservoirs are generally higher this spring than they were a year ago, offering a positive signal for agricultural water supplies ah
North Korea’s crackdown on school bribery fuels teacher backlash in North Hamgyong
North Korea’s Ministry of Education has singled out North Hamgyong province for a sweeping anti-corruption drive after the province posted some of the country’s worst results in a national student talent competition held in April 2026. Officials blame the poor performance on pervasive br
North Korean freight smugglers arrested, then freed after paying massive bribes
Two young men in their 20s from Haeju city in South Hwanghae province built a lucrative illegal freight operation by smuggling goods aboard train cargo cars, only to be arrested by the Ministry of Social Security and then released after paying massive bribes to officials. A Daily NK source in South
North Korea mobilizes labor for rice planting even as seedlings lag behind
North Korea has ordered a mass mobilization for the rice transplanting season in North Pyongan province even as some farms in the region have yet to begin planting due to poor seedling conditions caused by spring drought and erratic temperatures. A Daily NK source in North Pyongan province said Thur
China recruits North Korean defectors as informants to trap escape brokers
Chinese police are recruiting North Korean defectors living in China as informants and using them to infiltrate defector escape networks, leading to the arrest of defectors attempting to reach South Korea and the brokers helping them. A Daily NK source based in China said Thursday that the tactic ha
North Korea replaces all foreign student dormitory staff at Kim Il Sung University
North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) central committee ordered a full replacement of staff managing foreign student dormitories at Kim Il Sung University after male students broke into the facilities without authorization in early April. A Daily NK source in Pyongyang said
North Korean street food finds market across the border in China
Ethnic Chinese residents of North Korea are carrying Chongjin-made soy meat and fried tofu across the border into China and selling them there, turning two of the country’s most recognizable street foods into a modest cross-border export trade. A Daily NK source in North Hamgyong province said
North Korea mobilizes medical students for herb collection drives
North Korea has mobilized medical students at universities across North Pyongan province to collect medicinal herbs, drafting them into a state-driven push to expand production of koryo medicine (traditional Korean herbal medicine) amid chronic shortages of modern pharmaceuticals. A Daily NK source
North Korea dismisses officials who missed military supply quotas tied to army anniversary
North Korean authorities have launched a sweeping personnel shake-up in South Pyongan province in May 2026, dismissing and reassigning officials who underperformed in a military support drive tied to the 94th founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army. A Daily NK source in
North Korea’s community doctor system draws skepticism as healthcare shortages persist
North Korea’s authorities have been promoting the country’s community doctor system as a pillar of preventive healthcare in 2026, but people across the country say the push amounts to little more than routine hygiene lectures and data collection, with actual treatment conditions remainin
Tracing Russian Linkages in North Korea’s Expanding Nuclear Complex
North Korea’s growing nuclear capabilities have recently come back into public focus. Speaking ... The post Tracing Russian Linkages in North Korea’s Expanding Nuclear Complex appeared first on 38 North.
North Korea market prices surge again as grain and fuel costs climb
North Korea’s market prices surged again in May 2026, reversing a brief lull and deepening economic hardship for ordinary North Koreans across the country. According to Daily NK’s regular market price survey, a kilogram of rice traded at 32,700 North Korean won at a Pyongyang market on M
North Korea’s wealthy keep using South Korean rice cookers despite crackdowns
Despite intensifying crackdowns on South Korean goods, North Korea’s wealthy elite continue to use Cuckoo brand electric rice cookers, treating the South Korean appliances as status symbols even at the risk of legal punishment. A Daily NK source in North Hamgyong province said Monday that in H
North Korean traders race to read the market ahead of summer import season
Traders in the North Korean border city of Hyesan are scouring Chinese markets for summer clothing and footwear samples ahead of the import season, with rising temperatures pushing preparations roughly two months earlier than in previous years. A Daily NK source in Ryanggang province said on Tuesday