Fuel hoarding has spread across parts of North Korea in April as rising global oil prices driven by the ongoing Middle East conflict push gasoline and diesel prices sharply higher. Anxiety over further price increases has sent vehicle owners scrambling to stockpile supplies before costs climb further.
A source in Ryanggang province told Daily NK on Tuesday that vehicle owners in Hyesan had been competing to buy up fuel ahead of anticipated price increases. “Rumors are circulating that fuel prices will keep rising, which is intensifying the situation,” the source said.
In North Korea’s border regions, a number of people maintain contact with individuals in China, South Korea, and other countries through Chinese mobile phones. Those networks have become a conduit for outside news, including reports on the conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel, and assessments that global oil prices will remain elevated in the near term. The source said those rumors have spread primarily among people with outside contacts.
Workers in the transport sector have been particularly quick to move. “Taxi and transport drivers are already complaining that rising fuel costs are cutting into their earnings,” the source said. “And because they expect prices to go even higher, they’re competing to buy as much as they can now. They figure it’s more profitable to stockpile while they still can.”
Hoarding pressure pushes buyers to private dealers
Residents of Hyesan have been spotted purchasing gasoline and diesel in 10-kilogram and 20-kilogram containers, buying multiple units at a time to build personal reserves rather than purchasing only what they need for immediate use.
Private fuel sellers face strict purchase limits at state-run outlets, which has pushed buyers toward unlicensed private dealers. “State fuel stations only sell set quantities, so people can’t buy large amounts there,” the source said. “All that demand is flowing to private fuel traders, who are raising prices further even as the buying continues.”
Street-side fuel vendors who once lined the roads near Ryonbong neighborhood in Hyesan have largely disappeared from public view. Buyers are now going directly to dealers’ homes, removing the need to set up on the street.
According to Daily NK’s regular market price tracking, gasoline in Hyesan stood at 77,900 North Korean won per kilogram and diesel at 72,800 North Korean won per kilogram as of April 12, representing increases of 59.6% and 61.1% respectively compared with prices recorded on March 1, shortly after the Middle East conflict escalated.
Even at those elevated prices, the prevailing attitude among vehicle owners is that buying now is preferable to paying more later. Police officers (known in North Korea as safety officers, the public security personnel responsible for order and enforcement at the local level) have begun cracking down on fuel hoarding, but the source said enforcement has had little practical effect.
“Private fuel trading has always been illegal, so dealers have always needed protection from officials in law enforcement agencies,” the source said. “So how could a crackdown actually work?” The source noted that as transaction volumes increase, the bribes dealers pay to security officials simply grow larger alongside them.
Safety concerns have also surfaced. Storing multiple containers of gasoline and diesel in homes and warehouses raises fire risks, with observers noting that a small mistake could trigger a serious accident. “When you see people walking around carrying containers full of fuel, it makes you nervous,” one local person was quoted as saying. “Men smoke and toss cigarette butts around carelessly. It’s genuinely frightening.”
Despite those worries, anxiety about further price increases continues to outweigh safety concerns. As the outlook for global oil prices remains uncertain amid the prolonged Middle East conflict, hoarding is expected to persist across Hyesan and other parts of North Korea in the weeks ahead.
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.
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April 21, 2026 at 02:26PM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)