North Korea quietly hikes phone prices at the border
North Korea has quietly raised the prices of two mobile phone models sold in four border provinces, adding 500 Chinese yuan (about $74) to each. The change only recently came to light, even though people in the region have been grappling with the higher prices for weeks. Phone prices were already out of reach for […]
North Korea has quietly increased the prices of mobile phones sold in four border provinces by 500 Chinese yuan (approximately $74) each. This price hike, which took effect on July 13, was initially unknown to many people in the region. The new prices make mobile phones inaccessible for many North Koreans, with some abandoning their plans to purchase one.
The two mobile phone models affected are the Samtaesong 8 and the Madusan 222, with the former's price rising from 6,500 to 7,000 Chinese yuan ($1,037) and the latter's price going up from 3,500 to 4,000 Chinese yuan ($593). The identical 500 yuan increase across both models and all four border provinces suggests that the central government implemented the decision, rather than local authorities.
Experts speculate that the price hike may be due to higher exchange rates, component shortages, or the state's attempt to control the flow of mobile phones into the country. Regardless of the motive, the sudden hike has caused frustration among North Koreans who now struggle to afford a mobile phone, with ordinary people unable to afford one even over the course of a year.
Written by urgent.news from Daily NK's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
