Sinuiju Price Data

From the Daily NK:

Computer Prices (Mar 14, 2006):
-17inch Pentium Ⅲ is US$110~120 retail ($90 wholesale price)
-A printer is US$65~70
-10 Floppy discs are 5,000W
-A keyboard is US$20
-A mouse is US$5

Snack prices (March 28, 2006)
-roast chicken is 6,500-8,000W
-roast duck is 9,000~12,000W
-750g of noodles are 2,400W
-box of Korean noodles is 6,750W
-1kg of potatoes is 400W
-1kg of Beans is 700W
-1kg of wheat flour is 750W (690W at wholesale price)
-400g of Milk is 5,000W
-1kg of Butter powder is 5,000W
-25g of Baking powder is 400W
-1kg of Chinese noodles of 2,000W
-1kg of dried cuttlefish is 8,800W.

Entertainment Costs (March 28, 2006)
-movie admission fee is 50W
-comic book is 1,500W, to borrow 100W
-Swimming pool is 70W
-bath admission fee is 2,500W
-5,000W ($1.67) /huor to use a Karaoke singing room
-1,000W ($0.33) /hour to use a computer in an internet café

Other Prices
sanitary napkin is 500W, 600w, and 1,000w
-Skin lotions of three kinds are 42,000w
-Aloe cosmetics of three kinds are 42,000w
-A set of cosmetics (a skin cream and a skin lotion) is 10,000w (made in South Korea), 3,500w (made in China)
-Small gas cooking stove is 27,000w (made in South Korea / 25,000w in a wholesale price
-An electric bicycle is 150-200w.

North Korean inflation has increased following consecutively excessive issues of the 500W, 1,000W, and 5,000W notes.

Cities that can provide North Koreans with leisure facilities to enjoy are only Pyongyang, Shinuiju, Chongin, Hamhung, and Rasun. These cities possess big theaters, amusement parks, and swimming pools. Especially Shinuiju, which is close to China, has been introduced with foreign cultures and commodities very quickly. Shinuiju residents are also in the highest economic class of the North Koreans. Thus, Shinuiju has internet cafes, singing rooms, saunas, massage rooms, and comic bookstores.

The investigation was carried out by traders visiting Shinuiju in March and attaining the price levels concerned and then DailyNK gathered the information and cross-examined it.

Also, another trader emphasized that, “The official wage of North Korean workers is about 3,000 won. At the same time, the price for using a singing room per hour is 5,000 won. It shows how badly North Korea has been transformed,” adding that, “Shinuiju is the city where traders doing business with big money from North Korea and China gather. Such singing rooms, PC rooms, and saunas are just for them.”

Items marked by dollars in the price index below are usually paid in dollars, not North Korean won. A Chinese businessman who participated in the price investigation informed us that, “Currently in North Korea, the dollar is used frequently enough to be called ‘common currency’ and has more exchange value,” adding, “As trading costly articles, their paying in dollars makes them win credits.” He also said that, “That the dollar is exchanged into North Korea won is welcomed, yet to exchange the won into dollars is often impossible, even double the value.”

Now, in the early of April, the exchange rate of the dollar in North Korean black markets is roughly 3,000 won against the dollar.

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