Ask a North Korean: Why North Koreans don’t trust state weather forecasts | NK News
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September 28, 2026Sep 28, 2026

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Ask A North Korean

Ask a North Korean: Why North Koreans don’t trust state weather forecasts

A defector writes about the costs of inaccurate info and how the country’s citizens respond to yellow dust storms

“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 yellow dust and weather forecasts in the DPRK.

Rose — who was born and raised in North Korea and lived there until she defected in 2019 — writes about the unreliability of the state meteorological service, poor air quality and what citizens do when yellow dust levels are