Beyond Pyongyang: Regional Development, Modernization, and Inequality in North Korea
(Source: Korean Central News Agency) Historically, across numerous socialist systems, state investment and scarce resources often become concentrated…
Russian Construction Makes Progress Toward Bridge Opening
Commercial satellite imagery shows increased activity on the Russian side of the new road bridge to North Korea in Tumangang. Ahead of the…
North Korea Taps India for Smartphones
North Korean smartphone brand Phurunhanal Electronics appears to have sourced one of its latest phones from the Indian…
More Than Smartphones: How Digital Technology Is Changing North Korea
This article is from the fourth edition (April–June 2026) of 38 North’s quarterly product, North Korea Briefing, that…
The Logistics of Funding North Korean E-Wallets – 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
Smartphone-based e-payment systems appear to be growing quickly in Pyongyang. Several competing payment platforms in conjunction with recent accounts from visitors to the capital suggest the QR code-based…
Opening of New Road Link With Russia Unlikely in Near-Term
While the new road bridge between Russia and North Korea targeted a mid-June opening, the incomplete Russian customs…
North Korea Sees a New Solar Power Push
The recent opening of a new solar farm in Haeju, South Hwanghae province, marks a turning point in…
New DPRK-Russia Friendship Hospital is Repurposing Existing Project
In late April, when officials from Russia and North Korea broke ground on the new DPRK-Russia Friendship Hospital in…
Kim Jong Un Plots Continued Renewal of Pyongyang
Kim Jong Un’s ambitious plan to build 50,000 new apartments in Pyongyang over a five-year period is entering…
A Nascent Fintech Industry Appears in Pyongyang
Electronic payments appear to be gaining popularity in North Korea, thanks to the spread of smartphones, pressure from…
Party Congress Preparations in Pyongyang
Commercial satellite imagery from February 2 shows hundreds of soldiers practicing marching formations at the Mirim Parade Training…
North Korea’s new own-brand phone is sleek, colourful – and possibly watching you
North Korea welcomed foreign visitors and firms to a trade fair this week, showcasing home-grown products including the…