North Korean smugglers in their 30s and 40s are rushing to learn Chinese in 2026. The trend is driven by a string of financial losses from communication breakdowns with their Chinese trading partners, according to a source in Ryanggang province.
A growing number of smugglers in their 30s and 40s in Hyesan are now paying to study Chinese, the source told Daily NK on Tuesday. The trend has spread quickly in recent weeks.
“Chinese trading partners who deal with our side usually understand some Korean,” the source said. “But when problems come up during a deal, like pricing errors, quantity mistakes or defective goods, they act like they can’t understand a word. People are losing money because of this language problem, so more of them are trying to learn Chinese.”
One case illustrates the pattern. A smuggler in Hyesan imported flashlight batteries from China in late June. The shipment included more defective batteries than usual. The price sheet also listed a higher unit price than what had been agreed. The smuggler called the Chinese trading partner to dispute it.
The trading partner responded normally at first. Then, according to the source, the partner suddenly said, “I can’t understand anything you’re saying,” and hung up.
The smuggler kept calling back. The two sides eventually agreed to return the defective batteries. But the pricing dispute was never resolved, and the deal was left unsettled. The source said smugglers also face pressure to keep calls short, since using a Chinese phone for too long raises the risk of being caught by North Korean authorities.
Smugglers who export goods to China face similar communication problems, the source said. Herbal medicine shipments are a common flashpoint. Chinese buyers sometimes claim the shipment is underweight or low quality, then cut the price by tens of yuan per kilogram.
“Smugglers end up absorbing the loss,” the source said. “They argue with their Chinese partners over the phone, but the partners often pretend not to understand and hang up. The partners know we can’t talk for long, and they’re taking advantage of that more and more. It’s become a real source of stress.”
Learning Chinese seen as essential for border trade
That frustration has convinced many smugglers that learning Chinese is the only way to stop being brushed off, according to the source. Only a handful of people studied the language at first. Now nearly everyone is doing it, and it has become a broader trend.
“There’s a strong belief that without Chinese, you can’t argue your case properly when something goes wrong, and you just end up losing money,” the source said. “It shows how frustrated people are that even those well past school age are spending money to learn Chinese.”
The trend also lines up with a recent increase in Chinese investors entering the border region, according to the source. As economic cooperation between North Korea and China expands, demand for Chinese language skills is higher than ever.
“People who make a living trading with China are prioritizing Chinese over every other subject,” the source said. “They’re even paying for private tutors for their children. They believe their kids will need Chinese to land jobs as secretaries or drivers for Chinese investors down the road.”
Chinese language ability is increasingly viewed as essential for making a living in the border region, the source said. “Well off families are already saying they plan to have their children and grandchildren learn Chinese from a young age.”
Reporting from inside North Korea
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July 8, 2026 at 07:58PM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)