Rice prices climb again in North Korea as fresh corn drives grain prices down
Rice prices in North Korean markets turned upward again in early October 2026, even as corn prices kept falling. The split shows how slowly this year’s rice harvest is reaching market stalls across the country. Freshly harvested corn is already flowing into markets, but the new rice crop has yet to arrive in large quantities. […]
Rice prices in North Korea have climbed again in early October 2026, despite falling corn prices, due to a slow harvest and limited market supplies. The gap between rice and corn prices has widened, with rice now costing roughly 2.9 times as much as corn in Pyongyang. Simultaneously, the North Korean yuan has weakened against both the U.S. dollar and the Chinese yuan, likely due to a security period declared by North Korean authorities for Party Foundation Day.
The diverging trends in staple grain prices and currency exchange rates highlight the complex economic situation in North Korea.
Brief written by urgent.news from Daily NK's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
