N. Korean market prices fall sharply as exchange rates drop and state stores expand grain sales

N. Korean market prices fall sharply as exchange rates drop and state stores expand grain sales

Prices at North Korea’s informal marketplaces are falling across the board, including imported goods and grains like rice and corn. This appears to be a temporary trend driven by declining exchange rates and increasing grain sales at state-run stores. According to Daily NK’s periodic survey of prices at North Korean markets, a kilogram of rice at a Pyongyang market traded for 15,700 North Korean won on Jan. 18, which was 12.8% lower than the pri…