North Korea enacted sweeping revisions to its Road Traffic Law in May 2025, expanding the regulation from 103 to 124 articles across eight chapters to tighten restrictions on commercial vehicle operations and monitor citizen mobility more closely.
The revised Road Traffic Law explicitly bans drivers from “using vehicles to earn money,” with violators facing vehicle impoundment for up to two months. Vehicles registered to government institutions that are used for commercial purposes without authorization face complete confiscation and removal from official records. Officials who facilitate such arrangements risk unpaid labor sentences of up to three months.
The changes represent a significant effort by North Korean authorities to prevent what has become a common practice among citizens with access to vehicles: using them as informal taxis or transportation services to supplement meager incomes. The crackdown appears designed to eliminate a revenue source that has emerged in North Korea’s underground economy.
Drivers transporting passengers without valid travel permits or business authorization letters now face vehicle impoundment, with repeat violations resulting in driver’s license revocation. This places responsibility for monitoring movement directly on drivers themselves, effectively delegating surveillance responsibilities to individuals rather than relying solely on traditional security checkpoints.
The revised law also includes more concrete specifications regarding processing timelines, confiscation periods, and administrative procedures, transforming the regulation from largely declarative policy into substantive, enforceable law. These enhanced government control mechanisms reflect the regime’s ongoing efforts to centralize authority over economic activities.
New provisions address emerging transportation technologies, including electric bicycles, while establishing separate controls for Pyongyang. The capital-specific rules include confiscation of right-hand drive vehicles and restrictions on trucks with high emission levels, signaling North Korea’s gradual modernization of its transportation infrastructure.
Fine payment procedures have been modernized to use electronic systems, with individual penalties ranging from 5,000 to 150,000 North Korean won and institutional penalties processed through banks or security agencies. The shift reflects North Korea’s expanding digital finance infrastructure and growing reliance on cashless payment systems.
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.
Maintaining these secure communication channels and protecting source identities requires specialized protocols and constant vigilance. Daily NK serves as a bridge between North Koreans and the outside world, documenting what’s happening inside one of the world’s most closed societies.
September 3, 2026 at 02:08AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)