New Year’s in North Korea: Fewer Gifts and Simplified Meals Reflect Economic Struggles

As the new year begins, North Koreans face another challenging period due to persistent economic difficulties.

North Korea’s state media, including the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), widely promoted last week that “North Korean residents and People’s Army soldiers meaningfully welcomed the New Year 2025.”

However, a source from South Pyongan Province reported to SPN on Monday that “although January 1 is celebrated as New Year’s Day (Solar Calendar New Year) in North Korea, grain was sold at market prices by enterprises and food sales outlets, leading to widespread dissatisfaction among residents.”

The source added that even officials received no special provisions. Many families celebrated the Solar New Year on January 1 by setting their tables with rice and simple side dishes like bean sprouts or tofu.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, during an era of active trade, officials from provincial party offices, prosecutors’ offices, public security bureaus, and state security departments, as well as wealthy individuals (donju), would often order holiday foods via phone. These included a variety of fruits, confections, rice cakes, and side dishes, allowing them to enjoy the holiday in abundance.

The source explained, “This year’s holiday saw fewer bribes and insufficient holiday preparations among officials. Many residents, unable to hope for meat or rice cakes, prepared holiday meals by growing soybean sprouts, making tofu, or brewing corn liquor.”

Amidst these conditions, the Pyongsong Men’s Clothing Factory distributed New Year’s gifts, including one bottle of liquor, 500 grams of cookies, and one bottle of soybean oil, at prices slightly lower than market rates.

A source from Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province, also reported that although institutions and enterprises prepared gifts for the New Year, the difficult economic situation prevented them from providing meaningful offerings.

Workers at the relatively better-off Sinuiju Cosmetics Factory received New Year’s supplies, including one bottle of liquor, one kilogram of pork, three kilograms of dried pollock, three kilograms of rice, and a set of basic spring fragrance cosmetics.