Economics
North Korea Can't Stamp Out Its Unofficial Economy
- Unofficial rate for won now more widely used in North Korea
- Modest market economy defies efforts to stamp it out
North Korea Holds First Party Congress in 36 Years
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For a country that trumpets the success of its economic system and the power of its local currency, it is very difficult as a foreigner in North Korea to buy anything with it.
At the Yanggakdo hotel, one of a handful of places foreigners stay in Pyongyang, a tin of peaches is listed at 130 North Korean won -- $1.30 at the official rate of about 100 to the dollar. Yet staff won’t accept payment in won, only taking dollars, yuan or euros. If they don’t have proper change, they may give back a mix of currencies adding up to the amount owed.