PRICES AND CURRENCY IN NORTH KOREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R004900370008-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 1, 2002
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: May 26, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

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Approved RV!IVasp`;QQf
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I I FO AT REPORT CD NO.
C0/VF/n9-A1-r-.
DATE DISTR. 26 111Y 50
11
SUBJECT Prices -'M Currency .n ',orth Korea ~`'I110, OF ''AGES I
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PLACE
F8TJiRED
DATE OF
INFO.
SOURCE
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1. On 10 March 1Q50 ones, ryarket nrices in North Korea were in the following ratio
to statutory prices:
f 1MOditi0s
5tat ato:ry
Market
Rice, hest, per large mal (about half a bushe-l)
80
460
lower quality,, per large mal
70
360
}ed beans.. per large .l
7
3$0
,a :l.ton fabric,,, per yard
30
1.70
ac-'T' l.et-nia.de cotton cloth d 1$ inches eider than
local.), per ya.rd
230
Woollen cloth,., oer three yards
1, 500
9 , 000
2 When the stock of strreptornycin at the People-"s Hospital in Wonsan (l27..26.,
39.-?10) ran low,, the hospital authorities took up a collection of gold and
silver among the pat eats for purchase of a new supply., The collected funds
t eri entrusted to the wife of an employee of the Yoneh;y n (127--O4R 3&..06)
Deo.rtment of interior. who was to make the pur chase0 She rent to South
Kos: e a about 1_ January 1.9:0 and Purchased both a considerable amount of
%rept:o yrdira (exact couantity unstated) and some dyestuff c; at Choke ong- Ryon
t. 6 G Sri` .5 ) ? Yangju County (Gun)., at the rate of 11,000 South Korean won
per mommea" of gold and 180 South Korean won per niomine of silver-, Since these
rates compared very, favorably with the North Korean. won rate of 2,1500 per
%csmme of ;old and 30 per momme of silver, members of the local De artnent cf
n .erior? office were eeported to be planning to Snuggle gold and silver over
.h border into South Korea to obtain the higher exchange,,
i. In Yebrun.ry 1950, there was a rur.,or circulating in Pyongyang that a currency
reform could be expected in the near futures Since the residents were already
having difficulties with the high urices of many comr^orlities,, th,c rumor caused
sore disturbance.
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Corment. A momne is equal to 3.75 grams.
RS
! iA RVY
FS
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_-______ _I
This document is hereby regraded to
CONFIDENTIAL in accordance with the
letter of 16 October 1973 from Vv--)
Director of Central Intel?lgonce to the
Archivis. gf Avee~i r~r P Ti 'se 20021
Next Review Date: 20C3
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