FOOD AND COMMODITY PRICES, NORTH KOREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A000200450007-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2001
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: February 23, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2001/11/21 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA000200450007-3
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SECRET
SECURITY INFORMATION
DATE OF INFO.
1? On 10 Aeto1ijr 1952
as fo~lows
This Document contains Information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
REPORT NO.
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
25X1A
23 February 1953
9
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
Q7
food and commodity prices in the Plyegyang area were
ItOM2
Unit of
Measurement3
Price in %
North K
rea
W
o
n
on
Rice (hulled)
1 small mal
1,800
Rice (imported)
1 small mal
1,500
Millet
1 small Mal
1,600
Corn
1 small mal
700
Red "beaxis
1 small mal
1,700
Beans
1 small mal
900
Sorghum
1 small Mal
1,000
Beef
500
Pork
1 kun
800
Food and Commodity Prices, North Korea
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Item
Unit of
Measurement
Price in
North Korean Won
Chicken
1 kun
2,000
Noodles
1 bowl
300
Liquor
1 kun
1,300
bo
Clothing:
Silk shirt
1
1,100
Cotton underwear
1 suit
5,000
Socks (high quality)
1 pair
544
Socks (low quality)
1 pair
200
Leather shoes
1 pair
6,000
White rubber shoes
I pair
2,700
(women's)
Black rubber shoes
1 pair
1,400
(women's)
Rubber shoes (men's)
1 pair
2,500
Tennis shoes (CO
1 pair
4,000
co
Clotho
Cotton cloth
20 feet'';
20300
Calico
1 bolt (no-length given)
30,000
Cloth ( no kind given)
1 bo],t (no length given)
40,000
d.
(high quality)
Miscellaneous:
Gasoline (8)
1 drum
40;000
Mobile oil
1 large mat
8,000
Rice paper
1 kun
30,000
Fountain pen (CC)
1
2,500
Toilet soap (CC)
(}'io quantity given)
600
Laundry soap
(no quantity given)
350
(made in P'y'ngyang)
Laundry soap
(no quantity given)
500
(made in Hngnam)
Matches ('CC)
1 package
150 to 300
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Unit of
Measurement
Price in
North Korean Won
Matches (US)
1 package
600 to 700
Rubber
1 kwan
30,000
'Tire with tube (s)
1
50,E
40,000
Bicycle
100,000
Watch (high quality)
1
Watch (ordinary quality)
1
35,E
Radio (4 tubes)
1
3 to
000
Radio-phonograph
1
100,000
35,E
phonograph
Hae1u City
On 13 October 1952, food and commodity prices in the Haeju area were
as follows. The rate of exchange was 7 North Korean won to 1 South Korean
won,
a.
Food:
It
Unit of Consumers
Measurement Union Price
Free Market
Price
em
Rice
1 small mai,
2,400 NK won
Millet
1 small mail
1,700
Wheat
1 small mai
1,300
Flour
1 kun
250
soy 6auce
1 large bottle
120 NK won
200
Potatoes
1 kun
50
Pork
1 kun
800
Chicken
1
2000
Eggs
10
400
Pears
1 kilogram
800
Wine (sochu)
Clothinjiss
1 large bottle
150
200
c.
Men's rubber shoes
Cloth%
1 pair
350
1,000
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Unit of
Hessureanent
Consumers
Union Price
Free Mmrket
Price
cotton cloth
d. Medicines.
Aspirin
Sulfa
Sulfsguanadine
20 yards 4
1 tablet
1 tablet
1 tablet
3,000
3#000
80
80
I streptomycin
1 bottle (number of units not
given)
50000
Penicillin (us)
eQ MiecellanR usa
1 bottle (number of units no
given)
1,800
'toothbrush
150
150
7bgthbiwush (CC)
500
500
Thoth powder
Tooth pander
(no quantity
given)
(no q asntity
given)
150
150
Gold (24-karet)
I. don6
8,000
silver
50000
Rae u Ares'
On 25 October 1952, food and commodity prices in the Haeju area were as
follows
as
Foods
Item
Unit of
Measurement
Price in
North Korean iron
Rice (unpolished)
1 email mal
1,250
Millet
1 small mal
900
Wheat
1 small dal
800
Buckwheat
1 small Mal
500
Chinese broom corn
1 small dal
600
Boy beans
1 small ml
600
Red beans
1 small dal
1,200
Potatoes
1 small dal
450
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Item
Unit of
Measurement
Price in
North Korean Won
Sweet potatoes
1 pound
34
Radishes
2.28 pounds
70
Cabbage
Onions
2.28 pounds
2.28 pounds
200
Apples
Pears
30
Persimmons
1
10
Dried persimmons
10
150
Jujube fruit
1 small mal
1,000
Chestnuts
1 small mat
600
Beef
22.24 ounces
800
Pork
Chicken
(approximately 1 kun)
22.24 ounces
6oo
1,200
400
Eggs
Mackerel
150
Swordfish
1
800
Cod
20
1,100
Eels
1 kilogram
800
Pickled clams
1 large mal
8,000
Seaweed
2.28 pounds
2,400
b.
Restaurant Prices.
Bread
Steamed bread
1 piece
1 piece
25
Noodle soup
1 bowl
150
c.
Boiled rice
Clothing:
1 bowl
Arn}y trousers (US)
1 pair
8,000
to 10,00Q
Army jacket (US)-
4,000
to 6,000
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Unit of
Measurement
Price in
North Korean Won
Army underwear (us)
1 suit
6,000
to 7,000
Knitted underwear (C)
1 suit
6,000
to 7,000
Rubber shoes
1 pair
1,700
to 2,500
Black rubber shoes
1 pair
1,300
-(women's)
to 2,000
White rubber shoes
1 pair
2,500
to 3,000
Sport shoes
1 pair
1,800
to 2,500
Sport shoes (CC)
1 pair
2,850
to 3,500
Basketball shoes (CC)
1 pair
3,500
to 4,500
Laced Boots (c)
1pair
3, 500
to 4,500
Socks
1 pair
150 to 350
Soaks (CC)
1 pair
300 to 400
Socks (C)
1 pair
350 to 600
d.
Cloth and Towelss
White cotton cloth
20 feet
2,500
to 3,000
Colored cotton cloth
20 feet
2,800
to 3,200
White cambric (8)
1 foot
300
Violet cambric (8)
1 foot
280
Coat cloth (C)
1 meter
2,750
to 3,860
Korean silk
40 feet
8,000
Japanese silk (J)
1 foot
2,000
Japanese velvet (J)
1 foot
3,000
Macao cloth (M)
1 foot
12000
to 16,000.
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item
Measurement
Price in
North Korean won
Hemp
180 to 230
Towel
250 to 400
Towel (CC)
600 to 1,500
Towel (C)
600 to 1,200
Medicines;
Sulfadiazine (US)
1 tablet
40
Sulfadiazine
1 tablet
30
Aspirin-phenacetin-
1 tablet
30
caffein (US)
Aspirin-phenacetin-
1 tablet
25
caffein
Penicillin (US)
1-(sic)
1,200
to 1,500
Penicillin (a)
1 (sic)
1,000
to 1,200
Penicillin (3)
i (sic)
1,200
to 1,800
Mycin (sick (US)
1
2,8Q0
to 4,000
Mycin (sic) (8)
1
2,500 to 3,000
f.
Cosmetics and Notions;
Toothpaste (CC)
1 tube
300 to 1,000
Toothpaste
l tube
150 to 180
Toothpaste (8)
1 tube
350 to 800
Toothbrush (CC)
1
600 to 1,200
Toothbrush (C),
1
700 to 1,200
Toothbrush (S)
604 to 1,200
Toilet soap (CC)
1 bar
600 to 1,200
Toilet soap
1 bar
200 to 250
Toilet soap (us)
~1 bar
800
Laundry soap
300
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Item
Unit of
Measurement
Price in
North Korean Won
Laundry soap (cc)
1 bar
250
Smoking. Supplies:
Cigarettes (cc)
1 package
300
(T'ao Sheng Chan brand)
Cigarettes (Cc)
1 package
250
(Navy brand)
Cigarettes (cc)
1 package
250
(Sheng Chan brand)
Cigarettes (CO
1 package
250
(~,arachute brand)
Cigarettes (CC)
1 package
150
(Seagull brand)
Cigarettes (cc) 3r package
80
(Lpngevity and Happiness,
brand)
Matches
1 packages
300
Matches
1 package
350 to 400
h.
Photographic Suppliesa
Photographic paper (J)
36 sheets
50,000
to 60,000
Film (US)
60 meters
450,000
to 600,000
25X1X
quoted two pricer.- lists from the.
July and August 1952. The August list came
as this October report. A limited comparison
of food prices in these months can be made. However, its value is
uncertain because specific information regarding quality is, not
included,''i.e., r:i.ce in the August list is described only as "rice,"
while in the October list rice is described as "rice, hulled." The
millet in the July list is described as "millet (yellow)" while in
the October list is described as merely "millet;." Millet and rice
are sold in a number of forms.
25X1A 2? Comment, The country of origin is indicated by the following
IMF 7s appearing in parentheses directly following the name
of the items CC, Communist Chinas 6, U55 J US, United dtatesj
C, Caeohoslovakiaj M, Macao, and J, Japan. Where no letter symbol
appears, the country of origin was Korea or the source did not give
it.
25X1A 3 eminent. Western equivalents of Korean units of measurement used
is s rept area large mall a little under 30 pounds of rice or
one-half. bushel, and for liquid measurement about 18 liters or almost
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four gallons; small mal, half of a large mal; kun, 1.32 pounds or
600 grams; kwan, 8.27 pounds or 3.75 kilograms.
Cote ~t* Twenty' iee.t vu parobably'intended:
Comment. Note that different sources presented the price
lists in paragraphs 2 and 3. ;Possibly paragraph 3 reflects the
lower food prices prevailing in rural areas.
OEM Comment. A momme or 3.75 grams was probably intended.
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