“Ask a North Korean” is an NK News series featuring interviews with and columns by North Korean defectors, most of whom left the DPRK within the last few years.

Readers may submit their questions for defectors by emailing [email protected] and including their first name and city of residence.

Today’s question is about digital payment systems in North Korea.

Rose — who was born and raised in North Korea and lived there until she defected in 2019 — writes about how people living in the DPRK transfer money through intermediaries and why services like credit cards and online banking have struggled