Rising oil prices driven by instability in the Middle East are pushing up fuel costs inside North Korea, with transport fees charged by private freight vehicles doubling in a short period and squeezing market traders already struggling through a prolonged slump.
According to a Daily NK source in North Pyongan province on Tuesday, gasoline and diesel prices inside North Korea have risen sharply in recent weeks, triggering an immediate increase in freight rates charged by so-called “earning vehicles” — privately operated trucks and vans that function as the backbone of inter-regional goods distribution in North Korea’s informal economy, filling the gap left by the state’s dysfunctional logistics network.
Transport fees on routes from Sinuiju to nearby Ryongchon county and other surrounding areas have risen from roughly 30,000 North Korean won to between 60,000 and 70,000 North Korean won, nearly doubling within a short timeframe.
The surge is hitting market traders at a particularly vulnerable moment. Weakened purchasing power caused by currency depreciation and broad price inflation has already left goods piling up unsold at market stalls. With transport costs now also climbing steeply, many traders say they are losing money on every run.
“Before, even if freight costs went up a little, you could manage if goods were selling,” the source said. “But now that sales have collapsed entirely, any cost increase hits immediately. Traders are saying they’re not just failing to profit — they’re taking a loss every time they move.”
Bribery costs add to traders’ burden
Compounding the problem are informal toll payments that traders must make at checkpoints along transport routes. Bribes paid to inspection officials to avoid confiscation or delays add a significant layer of cost on top of the already elevated freight rates, further eroding already thin margins.
Traders with limited capital have responded by cutting the frequency of their deliveries, scaling back transaction volumes, or in some cases abandoning trade altogether. The source warned that this is not merely a matter of individual livelihoods: reduced freight activity is leading to lower overall market throughput and a contraction of supply chains across the region.
“Rising transport costs feed into higher goods prices, which then suppress consumption further — it becomes a vicious cycle,” the source said. “The shock from fuel price increases is now rippling through the entire market, and the independent livelihoods that North Korean people have struggled to maintain are being shaken to their roots.”
Reporting from inside North Korea
Daily NK operates networks of sources inside North Korea who document events in real-time and transmit information through secure channels. Unlike reporting based on state media, satellite imagery, or defector 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.
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 on developments other outlets cannot access: market trends, policy implementation, public sentiment, and daily realities that never appear in official narratives.
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April 14, 2026 at 04:07PM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)