North Korea exchange rates are soaring, creating financial hardship for small merchants while benefiting wealthy elites. Furthermore, marketplace vendors who trade in North Korean won will face daily challenges as internal rates climb unpredictably. Consequently, many small-scale merchants struggle to adjust prices and maintain profitability, often leaving them with minimal or no income. In addition, ordinary workers report increasing stress as fluctuations disrupt their earnings.
Small-time vendors express frustration with the growing instability. For instance, they lose money even after adjusting prices according to the day’s exchange rate. Moreover, if no customers purchase goods, merchants earn nothing, making daily life increasingly difficult. Therefore, reliance on local currency has exposed working-class North Koreans to financial vulnerability.
However, North Korea exchange rates do not affect everyone equally. Wealthy citizens, known as donju, who hold foreign currency, experience little impact from volatile rates. On the contrary, rising exchange rates present opportunities for them to expand their wealth further. For example, donju operating heavy equipment rental businesses continue to generate substantial profits.
Demand for machinery like excavators remains strong, particularly in gold mining regions such as Unsan, Hyangsan, and Kujang counties. Donju earns thousands of dollars in monthly profit from each excavator. Furthermore, the current exchange rate surge increases these profits even more. As a result, wealth accumulation among foreign currency holders accelerates, widening the economic divide.
The soaring rates exacerbate economic polarization across the country. Working-class citizens who earn in local currency suffer losses, while donju with capital in foreign exchange accumulate more. Consequently, small merchants face structural disadvantages, and inequality grows more entrenched. In addition, ordinary North Koreans describe the situation as “small sailboats capsizing while big boats enjoy the waves,” reflecting the divide between the powerful and the vulnerable.
In North Korea, exchange rates are becoming a defining factor in survival. People without capital or influence struggle to secure basic income, while wealthy elites consolidate power. Moreover, daily exposure to fluctuating rates increases uncertainty for the majority, highlighting the systemic nature of economic disparity. Therefore, North Korea exchange rates continue to determine financial outcomes and social inequality in the country.
