Tag: Daily NK: North Korea

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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