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Jan 17, 2025 | 
dailynk.com | Lee Chae Eun |Lee Chae Un
Cargo-laden trucks have begun crossing through customs in Hyesan, marking a significant shift from last year’s empty traffic. This development has sparked optimism among North Korean traders about expanding bilateral trade. “Since early January, trucks carrying minerals and seafood have been passing through Hyesan customs into China,” a source in Ryanggang province told Daily NK on Wednesday.
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Jan 17, 2025 | 
dailynk.com | Lee Chae Eun |Lee Chae Un
Amid persistent rumors of currency redenomination, North Koreans are increasingly shunning the domestic won in favor of foreign currencies. This growing distrust is accelerating the economy’s dependence on foreign money. “Rumors about currency redenomination that began last year continue to spread, and more North Koreans are refusing to hold the domestic currency,” a source in South Hamgyong province told Daily NK on Thursday. At marketplaces and shops, customers are noticeably avoiding the won.
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Jan 17, 2025 | 
dailynk.com | Lee Chae Eun |Lee Chae Un
North Korea’s Ministry of Social Security has ordered local police boxes nationwide to intensify “mass educational activities,” a move that signals tighter surveillance of public ideological attitudes, according to sources. A Daily NK source in North Pyongan province reported that Sinuiju police boxes received directives early this month to implement enhanced public education programs.
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Jan 14, 2025 | 
dailynk.com | Lee Chae Eun |Lee Chae Un
Padded coats inspired by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s recent attire have begun appearing in North Korean markets. The garment could become this winter’s must-have fashion item, reminiscent of how Kim Jong Il’s overcoat once sparked a nationwide trend. “‘The Marshal’s coat’ has already hit the markets. These coats closely match the color and design of the winter coat the Marshal wore during the New Year’s event,” a South Pyongan province source told Daily NK recently.
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Jan 13, 2025 | 
dailynk.com | Lee Chae Eun |Lee Chae Un
North Korea implemented special security measures for Kim Jong Un’s birthday on Jan. 8, signaling ongoing efforts to establish the date as a national holiday. A Daily NK source in North Hamgyong province reported that heightened security measures were in effect from 5 p.m. on Jan. 7 to 5 p.m. on Jan. 9. Central government authorities ordered all organizations, including neighborhood units and workplaces, to prevent any incidents during the leader’s birthday.
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Jan 13, 2025 | 
dailynk.com | Lee Chae Eun |Lee Chae Un
North Korean security agents arrested five women in Hoeryong, North Hamgyong province, for simultaneously violating two major anti-socialist laws: drug use and possession of Chinese mobile phones. According to a Daily NK source in the province, the arrests occurred on Dec. 30 when security agents raided a private residence where the women had gathered. The group, consisting of women in their 30s and 40s, included a drug dealer, two Chinese phone users, and two money changers.
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Jan 8, 2025 | 
dailynk.com | Lee Chae Eun |Lee Chae Un
North Korean authorities have intensified surveillance of neighborhood watch units at the border with China, with particularly harsh monitoring of individuals designated as “dangerous elements,” Daily NK has learned. “In Hoeryong, surveillance of those labeled as criminals or dangerous elements has recently become more severe,” a source in North Hamgyong province told Daily NK on Monday.
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Jan 6, 2025 | 
dailynk.com | Lee Chae Eun |Lee Chae Un
North Korea has intensified its crackdown on Chinese mobile phones as part of efforts to tighten internal controls by limiting communication with the outside world, Daily NK has learned. A source in North Hamgyong province told Daily NK on Jan. 3 that authorities recently caught a Musan resident attempting to make a call to China. “The state security department’s radar bureau detected and arrested them within one minute of placing the call. They remain in state security detention,” the source said.
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Dec 5, 2024 | 
dailynk.com | Lee Chae Eun |Lee Chae Un
North Korean state-run grain shops near the Chinese border have begun accepting foreign currency for food purchases, despite official restrictions on foreign currency use. This policy has sparked discontent among locals, as the government simultaneously cracks down on foreign currency use by the general public, according to a source in North Hamgyong province recently.
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Nov 28, 2024 | 
dailynk.com | Lee Chae Eun |Lee Chae Un
Elementary schools in North Korea are actively operating after-school soccer clubs, likely mirroring the public enthusiasm for the North Korean women’s team’s consecutive victories in the U20 and U17 FIFA World Cups. Nevertheless, students from underprivileged families experience frustration as they are unable to even consider participating in these clubs. “Students can join the clubs starting from the third grade, usually with two to four students from each class joining.
