A variety of imported vinyl flooring sheets are flowing into North Korea through border customs posts in 2026, but deepening economic hardship has gutted purchasing power among lower-income households, leaving demand well short of supply.
“Various kinds of vinyl flooring have been coming in steadily through customs,” a Daily NK source in Ryanggang province said on Wednesday. “The selection is more varied than before, but actual demand is not high.”
Spring and autumn are traditionally considered home repair seasons in North Korea, and April has typically been a period when markets see a noticeable uptick in flooring purchases. This year, the source said, things are different.
Wealthier households have already moved on from vinyl flooring to higher-end materials like tiles, the source explained, while lower-income households have seen their finances deteriorate further, significantly reducing their willingness to buy. Sluggish vinyl flooring sales, the source said, are a clear indicator of weakening purchasing power among the poor.
Price increases compound the demand slump
Rising prices have compounded the problem. Vinyl flooring is currently trading at around 50 Chinese yuan (approximately $6.90) per square meter, up more than 60% from roughly 30 yuan per square meter a year ago.
Traders continue to import the flooring at a steady pace, but with household incomes under pressure and prices higher, goods are no longer moving as quickly as they once did.
“You can tell a well-off household at a glance,” the source said. “The doors are different, and the floors inside are all tile. In contrast, households that barely scrape by are still living on vinyl flooring, and many families now have no means to replace it even when it wears out.”
The source pointed to food prices as a barometer of the broader crisis. “Rice that used to cost 4,000 won per kilogram has risen to around 30,000 won,” the source said. “Markets have more variety than before, but goods are piling up because people cannot afford to buy them.”
The resumption of North Korea-China trade has increased the supply of imported goods on the market, but purchasing power has not kept pace, creating a stark gap between supply and demand.
“Living standards have fallen to the point where people’s staple food is shifting from rice to corn,” the source said. “Many households cannot even solve their food problems. Replacing worn flooring, let alone broader home repairs, is simply out of reach, and many families are just holding on.”
The source added: “Prices are rising by the day, but people’s earnings are not recovering. The problem is not that goods are missing from the market. The problem is that people cannot afford what is there.”
Reporting from inside North Korea
Daily NK operates networks of sources inside North Korea who document events in real-time and transmit information through secure channels. Unlike reporting based on state media, satellite imagery, or defector accounts from years past, our journalism comes directly from people currently living under the regime. We verify reports through multiple independent sources and cross-reference details before publication.
Our sources remain anonymous because contact with foreign media is treated as a capital offense in North Korea — discovery means imprisonment or execution. This network-based approach allows Daily NK to report on developments other outlets cannot access: market trends, policy implementation, public sentiment, and daily realities that never appear in official narratives.
Maintaining these secure communication channels and protecting source identities requires specialized protocols and constant vigilance. Daily NK serves as a bridge between North Koreans and the outside world, documenting what’s happening inside one of the world’s most closed societies.
