Since Kim Jong Eun came to power, prices in Pyongyang have increased dramatically and the gap between the rich and poor has become extreme.

 

Kim Jong Eun has extensively proclaimed that the North Korean people’s living standards have improved when, in fact, citizens of Pyongyang have increasingly felt deprivation because of high prices. A Chinese tourist who recently visited North Korea told Radio Free Asia that women’s sandals are selling for $20~$30 and men’s shoes are selling for 200 yuan in the East Pyongyang Department Store. He also added that the Chinese middle-low priced products are selling for high prices in Pyongyang.

 

Most products that are sold in the Kwangbok Business Region are Chinese and the price for such products is very high. Small Chinese refrigerators in this region are selling for 20,000,000 won and 20kg of apples is selling for 180,000 won. However, most Pyongyang citizens buy things on the black market. Also, Radio Free Asia reported that foreign tourists who toured North Korea are surprised by the high prices in North Korea. The price of a banana is reportedly the same as a North Korean laborer’s monthly wage, which is 3,000 won.