June 09, 2023
News

North Koreans using cash coupons as country struggles to print new bills

Expert notes early signs of inflation present in DPRK as rigid pandemic lockdown approaches third year

Money coupons manufactured by North Korea’s Central Bank are proliferating throughout the country, NK News has independently confirmed, as the DPRK’s COVID-19 pandemic controls reportedly cause cash printing problems.

An informed source told NK News that the coupons — which photos show come in a 5,000-won denomination, printed with red ink on white paper — have been pumped out due to a shortage of North Korean won bills, confirming past reports on the presence of these coupons on the streets of Pyongyang. Asia Press reported that the coupons began circulating around the end of August.