{"title":"North Korea","description":"\u003cp\u003eNorth Korean currency (banknotes \/ paper money \/ bills) for collectors. Note that we do not provide any kind of financial services.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"korea-7-pc-unc-set-fractionals-small-p231-p241-p251-p261-p252-p32-p33","title":"Korea 7 pc UNC set fractionals small P23(1) P24(1) P25(1) P26(1) P25(2) P32 P33","description":"\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#222222\" face=\"Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif\"\u003eThe set includes 7 notes, 1 of each of the following, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan color=\"#222222\" face=\"Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif\"\u003eAll notes are small format: 100x45 mm \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#222222\" face=\"Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif\"\u003e3.94 in × 1.77 in\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan color=\"#222222\" face=\"Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif\"\u003e100 сhоn or jeon \u003c\/span\u003e전 \u003cspan color=\"#222222\" face=\"Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif\"\u003e= 1 won\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIssued in 1988 for use by visitors from саpitаlist countries, \u003cstrong\u003eviolet\/purple:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan color=\"#222222\" face=\"Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBanknote.ws: P-23(1) Numista: P-23a -  1 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e전 (0.01 won)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan color=\"#222222\" face=\"Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBanknote.ws: P-24(1) Numista: P-24a - 5 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e전 (0.05 won)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan color=\"#222222\" face=\"Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBanknote.ws: P-25(1)  Numista: P-25a - 10 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e전 (0.10 won)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan color=\"#222222\" face=\"Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBanknote.ws: P-26(1)  Numista: P-26a - 50 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e전 (0.50 won)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#222222\" face=\"Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIssued in 1995 for \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e use by visitors from саpitаlist countries\u003cspan color=\"#222222\" face=\"Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e during the capital's Cultural Festival, \u003cstrong\u003eblue\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan color=\"#222222\" face=\"Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif\"\u003eBanknote.ws: P-25(2)  Numista: P-25b - 10 \u003c\/span\u003e전 (0.10 won)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#222222\" face=\"Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIssued in 1992 for visitors from communist countries, \u003cstrong\u003epink\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan color=\"#222222\" face=\"Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eP-32 5 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e전 (0.05 won)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan color=\"#222222\" face=\"Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eP-33 10 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e전 (0.10 won)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#222222\" face=\"Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif\" style=\"color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"caret-color: #222222;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51499284889911,"sku":null,"price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/FullSizeRender_54123be6-b5ac-43b2-825e-a035b63e2682.png?v=1772423858"},{"product_id":"north-korea-dprk-kim-il-sung-100-won-1978-p-22-unc","title":"Korea P-22 1978 UNC—dictator—BIG note","description":"\u003cp\u003eOverstock special price\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eColor: Pink\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFront: Leader, Eternal President surrounded by magnolia flowers\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBack: his birthplace\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLarge size note\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51499290132791,"sku":"KP22UNC","price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/22o.jpg?v=1766954463"},{"product_id":"korea-10-pc-set-commemoratives-p-cs9-through-p-cs18-2012-2013-unc-100th-birthday","title":"Korea 10 pc set commemoratives P-CS9 through P-CS18 2012 2013 UNC 100th birthday of the Grеаt Lеаder","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMarking the \u003cstrong\u003e100th birthday \u003c\/strong\u003eof Korea's \u003cstrong\u003eGreat Leader, Kim Il Sung\u003c\/strong\u003e, this Korea 10 piece commemorative set includes 10 uncirculated notes, Pick catalog nos. CS9 through CS18 from 2012-2013. 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Five different notes to choose from or available as a complete set:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e100 won P-22 1978 UNC\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFront: dictator Kim Il-Sung (1912-1994) surrounded by a wreath of magnolia flowers. Text reads \"the great leader, the gifted of the revolution, the sun of the nation, and the legendary hero, Comrade Kim Il-sung\"\u003cbr\u003eBack: Mangyongdae, birthplace of Kim Il-Sung\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e50 won P-21 1978 UNC\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFront: Soldier, peasant woman with wheat, partisan holding a torch, book symbolizing the \"bright future\" of the nation\u003cbr\u003eBack: Mountain and lake scene\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e10 won P-20 1978 UNC\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFront: statue of mythical flying horse Chŏllima (천리마, 千里馬, 千里马), a horse that can run a thousand li, or about 400 km, in a single day\u003cbr\u003eBack: factories along a waterfront\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e5 won P-19 1978 UNC\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFront: Worker with cogwheel holding political book, peasant woman holding sheaf of wheat, view of city with factories\u003cbr\u003eBack: Taebaek Mountains with waterfalls, Mt. 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Siebold's Magnolia (flower) a.k.a. mongnan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eP-CS WC21 (CS22, B360.5):\u003cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e500 won\u003c\/strong\u003e featuring the \u003cstrong\u003eArch of Triumph\u003c\/strong\u003e, a P-63 note with a 2018 overprint commemorating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Republic\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eP-CS W23 (CS25, B363):\u003cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e5000 won\u003c\/strong\u003e cabin with 2019 overprint commemorating the 70th anniversary of \u003cstrong\u003ediplomatic relations with China\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51655993360695,"sku":"KPSET6PC-CN-SLEEVE","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/Screenshot_2026-03-28_at_13.34.09_copy.png?v=1774720302"},{"product_id":"korea-1947-reprint-set-15-20-50-chon-1-5-10-won","title":"Korea P-5a through P-10a 1947 reprint set 15 20 50 Chon + 1 5 10 Won","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"xdj266r x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs x126k92a\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003eNORTH KOREA 1947 Complete Set Modern Re-Print 6 Banknotes from 15 Chon, 20 Chon, 50 Chon, 1 Won, 5 Won \u0026amp; 10 Won\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003eThe original series of 1947 was printed in the USSR and had a symmetrical watermark.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv dir=\"auto\"\u003eIn the 1990s the Korean government noted that these banknotes were scarce and thus valuable, and manufactured a massive supply of reprints (without a watermark) to sell to foreign collectors for hard currency.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51706224443703,"sku":"KPSET1947","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/525974984_10161201824041561_2829613178517046645_n.jpg?v=1771643715"},{"product_id":"korea-p902-10000-won-savings-bond-2003-unc","title":"Korea P902 10000 Won (Savings Bond) 2003 UNC","description":"\u003cp\u003eFront: \u003cspan\u003eNational Emblem, Siebold's Magnolia flower\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBack: Instructions on how to use the bond:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCredit certificates may be purchased or redeemed at any Central Bank institution and may be transferred to another person.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf a credit certificate is lost, it will not be reissued.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe annual interest rate is 4%, and \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInterest is calculated and paid once per year from the date of purchase, when it is redeemed at the Central Bank branch where it was issued.\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51779426648375,"sku":"KP902U","price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/902o.jpg?v=1773507067"},{"product_id":"north-korea-p-35-1-won-1988-unc-international-friendship-exhibition-foreign-trade-bank","title":"Korea P-35 1 Won 1988 UNC—Communist Visitor Currency—Great Leader's Gift Palace","description":"\u003cp\u003eA relic of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cold_War\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCold War\u003c\/a\u003e-era currency engineering, this 1988 North Korean \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreign_exchange_certificate\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eForeign Exchange Certificate\u003c\/a\u003e was never meant for ordinary citizens — it was issued\u003cstrong\u003e exclusively to visitors \u003c\/strong\u003eand diplomats from \u003cstrong\u003ecommunist\u003c\/strong\u003e (\"socialist\") countries (Soviet bloc and China), and portrays the \"\u003cstrong\u003ecastle\u003c\/strong\u003e\" museum exhibiting \u003cstrong\u003ehundreds of thousands of gifts to the Great Leader \u003c\/strong\u003eand his son.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OG-Tmdz7KkY?si=PVYmwKBGTmV531t7\u0026amp;start=10\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IrCQh1usdzE?si=cMfh5kAu5KFJY2NO\u0026amp;start=860\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBackground:\u003c\/strong\u003e pale lavender-pink\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDominant engraving:\u003c\/strong\u003e deep crimson-red\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAccents:\u003c\/strong\u003e light blue (globe waterdrops logo)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDenomination:\u003c\/strong\u003e numeral \"1\" in white, set within a large ornate red \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Guilloch%C3%A9\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eguilloche\u003c\/a\u003e rosette\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorder:\u003c\/strong\u003e elaborate multi-layered lathe-work border in crimson\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLogo:\u003c\/strong\u003e globe-and-grain logo of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreign_Trade_Bank_of_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eForeign Trade Bank\u003c\/a\u003e (left), in red and blue\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuer text:\u003c\/strong\u003e 조선민주주의인민공화국 \/ 무역은행 (Foreign Trade Bank of the DPRK)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDenomination text:\u003c\/strong\u003e 일 원 (One Won)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1988 (lower center)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBackground:\u003c\/strong\u003e pale lavender-pink\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDominant engraving:\u003c\/strong\u003e deep crimson-red\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAccents:\u003c\/strong\u003e blue-grey (globe logo, coat of arms)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain vignette:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/International_Friendship_Exhibition\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eInternational Friendship Exhibition\u003c\/a\u003e museum complex on \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Myohyang_Mountains\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMt. Myohyang\u003c\/a\u003e — a sprawling traditional Korean palace-style complex set among forested hills\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCoat of arms:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Emblem_of_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNational Coat of Arms of North Korea\u003c\/a\u003e (upper right)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLogo:\u003c\/strong\u003e globe-and-grain Foreign Trade Bank logo (right)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeader text:\u003c\/strong\u003e 외화와바꾼돈표 (Foreign Currency Exchange Certificate)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuer text:\u003c\/strong\u003e 조선민주주의인민공화국무역은행 (Foreign Trade Bank of the DPRK)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDenomination:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 won \/ 일원\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1988\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCurrency for Use by Foreign Visitors\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFamily\/Series:\u003c\/strong\u003e There were two types of currency for use by visitors, dated 1988\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor visitors from \u003cstrong\u003ecapitalist\u003c\/strong\u003e countries, \u003cstrong\u003eP-23 through P-30\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eChon\u003c\/strong\u003e notes (1 through 50 chon)\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlue regular issue\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePurple, Issued during the Pyongyang Cultural Festival in 1995\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePink, coat of arms at \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eleft\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, issued during the Arirang Festival in 2002\/2003\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWon\u003c\/strong\u003e notes, sage green (1 through 50 won)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor visitors from \u003cstrong\u003ecommunist\u003c\/strong\u003e (\"socialist\") countries, \u003cstrong\u003eP-31 through P-38\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eChon\u003c\/strong\u003e notes in pink, coat of arms at \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eright\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWon\u003c\/strong\u003e notes in crimson red on lavender \u003cstrong\u003e(this type)\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-35; Numista N#204288\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Banknote_paper\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePaper\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 111 × 55 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreign_Trade_Bank_of_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eForeign Trade Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemonetized:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e1992\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_Korean_won\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSecond North Korean Won\u003c\/a\u003e (1959–2009)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout North Korea\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Korea\" derives from the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Goryeo\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGoryeo dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (918–1392); \"\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJoseon\u003c\/a\u003e\" (조선), the name used domestically, refers to the ancient \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gojoseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGojoseon\u003c\/a\u003e kingdom\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pyongyang\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePyongyang\u003c\/a\u003e (city pop. ~3.1 million; metro ~3.5 million)\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Flat land\" or \"Peaceful land\" in Korean (평양, Pyong = flat\/peaceful, Yang = land)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~26 million (UN est.) — similar to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Texas\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTexas\u003c\/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Australia\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAustralia\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 120,538 km² (46,540 mi²) — similar to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMississippi\u003c\/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGreece\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita at\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e: ~$1,800 (highly estimated; no reliable official data)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Coal\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCoal\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Iron_ore\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eiron ore\u003c\/a\u003e, textiles, seafood (primarily to China)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/China\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eChina\u003c\/a\u003e (north), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Russia\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRussia\u003c\/a\u003e (northeast), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/South_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSouth Korea\u003c\/a\u003e (south, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_Demilitarized_Zone\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDMZ\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken language:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_language\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Koreans\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean\u003c\/a\u003e (~100%)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (1991); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Non-Aligned_Movement\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNon-Aligned Movement\u003c\/a\u003e (1975); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Group_of_77\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eG77\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gojoseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGojoseon\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Three_Kingdoms_of_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThree Kingdoms\u003c\/a\u003e period (2333 BC–668 AD)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Unified_Silla\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnified Silla\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Goryeo\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGoryeo dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (668–1392)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJoseon dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (1392–1897)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_Empire\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean Empire\u003c\/a\u003e (1897–1910)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korea_under_Japanese_rule\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJapanese colonial rule\u003c\/a\u003e (1910–1945)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Soviet_Civil_Administration\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSoviet occupation of northern Korea\u003c\/a\u003e (1945–1948)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemocratic People's Republic of Korea\u003c\/a\u003e proclaimed (1948) — \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Il-sung\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Il-sung\u003c\/a\u003e establishes the DPRK; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_War\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean War\u003c\/a\u003e (1950–1953) ends in armistice, not peace treaty\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDPRK under \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_dynasty_(North_Korea)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (1948–date) — this note issued during this period\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eNorth Korea Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cult_of_personality_in_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ecult of the Kim family\u003c\/a\u003e is the closest thing to a state religion on Earth. Every home and office is required by law to display framed portraits of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Il-sung\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Il-sung\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Jong-il\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Jong-il\u003c\/a\u003e, subject to official inspection. Citizens bow before statues and weep publicly at state ceremonies — behavior that defectors describe as both coerced and, for many, genuinely felt after a lifetime of total information control. Kim Il-sung holds the title \u003cem\u003eEternal President\u003c\/em\u003e despite having died in 1994. The state ideology of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Juche\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJuche\u003c\/a\u003e functions as a quasi-theology, with the Kims cast not merely as leaders but as the source of all national life.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe parallel currency system\u003c\/strong\u003e depicted on this note no longer exists. Today, foreign visitors to North Korea transact in US dollars, euros, or Chinese yuan. Only one department store in Pyongyang — the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rakwon_Department_Store\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRakwon Department Store\u003c\/a\u003e — allows visitors to exchange hard currency into local won and spend it alongside ordinary citizens.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_Korean_famine\" target=\"_blank\"\u003efamine of 1994–1998\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e — known in North Korea as the \"Arduous March\" — killed an estimated 240,000 to 3.5 million people. The government initially denied it was happening. Aid organizations were given limited and monitored access. The famine reshaped North Korean society, giving rise to informal markets (\u003cem\u003ejangmadang\u003c\/em\u003e) that persist to this day.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDespite near-total isolation, North Korea has launched multiple satellites into orbit and maintains \u003cstrong\u003eone of the largest \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_People%27s_Army\" target=\"_blank\"\u003estanding armies\u003c\/a\u003e on Earth\u003c\/strong\u003e — approximately 1.2 million active personnel.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Room_39\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRoom 39\u003c\/a\u003e, a clandestine bureau operating out of the Korean Workers' Party headquarters in Pyongyang, is widely believed to have produced the \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Superdollar\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\"Superdollar\"\u003c\/a\u003e — counterfeit US $100 bills\u003c\/strong\u003e so technically sophisticated that they were \u003cstrong\u003enearly indistinguishable\u003c\/strong\u003e from genuine Federal Reserve notes. The US Secret Service estimated hundreds of millions of dollars' worth entered circulation before the US redesigned the $100 bill partly in response.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA Banknote That Was Never Meant for You, Citizen!\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreign_exchange_certificate\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eForeign Exchange Certificate\u003c\/a\u003e system was North Korea's elegant solution to a hard-currency problem: how do you extract dollars, rubles, and deutschmarks from foreign visitors without letting ordinary citizens touch them? The answer was a parallel banknote — same denomination, same issuer, different colors, different world. Both types were redeemable only at Foreigners' Shops (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreigners%27_shop\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e외화상점\u003c\/a\u003e), stocked with goods unavailable to the general population.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMt. Myohyang: The Mountain of Gifts\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe building on the reverse is the \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/International_Friendship_Exhibition\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eInternational Friendship Exhibition\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, a vast underground complex carved into \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Myohyang_Mountains\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMt. Myohyang\u003c\/a\u003e (묘향산 — \"Mysterious Fragrance Mountain\"). It was built in 1978 to house the staggering volume of over 220,000 gifts received by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Il-sung\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Il-sung\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Jong-il\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Jong-il\u003c\/a\u003e from foreign dignitaries — including a bulletproof limousine from \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseph_Stalin\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eStalin\u003c\/a\u003e and a crocodile-leather briefcase from \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fidel_Castro\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFidel Castro\u003c\/a\u003e. The complex spans multiple buildings, each dedicated to a different region of the world. Visitors must wear shoe covers and speak in hushed tones. \u003cstrong\u003ePhotography is forbidden.\u003c\/strong\u003e The mountain itself is considered sacred in \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_shamanism\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean shamanic tradition\u003c\/a\u003e — a fitting home for a monument to dynastic legitimacy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e1988: The Year of the Seoul Olympics North Korea Boycotted\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis note was printed in \u003cstrong\u003e1988\u003c\/strong\u003e — the same year \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/South_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSouth Korea\u003c\/a\u003e hosted the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/1988_Summer_Olympics\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSeoul Summer Olympics\u003c\/a\u003e, an event North Korea \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_Korea_and_the_Olympics\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eboycotted\u003c\/a\u003e after failing to secure co-hosting rights. While Seoul showcased its economic miracle to the world, Pyongyang issued this certificate to the socialist visitors still willing to come. The contrast is encoded in the paper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOwn This Document of a Parallel Economy\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis P-35 socialist-visitor certificate is one of the most collectible \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Banknotes_of_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNorth Korean issues\u003c\/a\u003e precisely because of its specificity: it was printed for a defined ideological category of person, in a defined year, redeemable in a defined set of shops that no longer exist. \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemonetized in 1992\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, it survived the collapse of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Eastern_Bloc\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSoviet bloc\u003c\/a\u003e by becoming worthless — and then, decades later, invaluable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA crisp, uncirculated example of a closed economy's most candid admission: that not all money is created equal.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51962568081719,"sku":"KP35U","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/35o_c1321637-7227-4063-a494-70a176400da8.jpg?v=1776210514"},{"product_id":"korea-p-35-1-won-1988-unc-lot-of-10-communist-visitor-currency-great-leaders-gift-palace","title":"| 10 pcs lot 10x Korea P-35 x 1 Won 1988 UNC—Lot 10 pcs—Communist Visitor Currency—Great Leader's Gift Palace","description":"\u003cp\u003eLOT OF 10 PIECES\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font:serif;\"\u003eA relic of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cold_War\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCold War\u003c\/a\u003e-era currency engineering, this 1988 North Korean \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreign_exchange_certificate\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eForeign Exchange Certificate\u003c\/a\u003e was never meant for ordinary citizens — it was issued\u003cstrong\u003e exclusively to visitors \u003c\/strong\u003eand diplomats from \u003cstrong\u003ecommunist\u003c\/strong\u003e (\"socialist\") countries (Soviet bloc and China), and portrays the \"\u003cstrong\u003ecastle\u003c\/strong\u003e\" museum exhibiting \u003cstrong\u003ehundreds of thousands of gifts to the Great Leader \u003c\/strong\u003eand his son.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OG-Tmdz7KkY?si=PVYmwKBGTmV531t7\u0026amp;start=10\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IrCQh1usdzE?si=cMfh5kAu5KFJY2NO\u0026amp;start=860\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBackground:\u003c\/strong\u003e pale lavender-pink\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDominant engraving:\u003c\/strong\u003e deep crimson-red\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAccents:\u003c\/strong\u003e light blue (globe waterdrops logo)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDenomination:\u003c\/strong\u003e numeral \"1\" in white, set within a large ornate red \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Guilloch%C3%A9\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eguilloche\u003c\/a\u003e rosette\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorder:\u003c\/strong\u003e elaborate multi-layered lathe-work border in crimson\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLogo:\u003c\/strong\u003e globe-and-grain logo of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreign_Trade_Bank_of_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eForeign Trade Bank\u003c\/a\u003e (left), in red and blue\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuer text:\u003c\/strong\u003e 조선민주주의인민공화국 \/ 무역은행 (Foreign Trade Bank of the DPRK)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDenomination text:\u003c\/strong\u003e 일 원 (One Won)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1988 (lower center)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBackground:\u003c\/strong\u003e pale lavender-pink\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDominant engraving:\u003c\/strong\u003e deep crimson-red\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAccents:\u003c\/strong\u003e blue-grey (globe logo, coat of arms)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain vignette:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/International_Friendship_Exhibition\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eInternational Friendship Exhibition\u003c\/a\u003e museum complex on \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Myohyang_Mountains\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMt. Myohyang\u003c\/a\u003e — a sprawling traditional Korean palace-style complex set among forested hills\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCoat of arms:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Emblem_of_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNational Coat of Arms of North Korea\u003c\/a\u003e (upper right)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLogo:\u003c\/strong\u003e globe-and-grain Foreign Trade Bank logo (right)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeader text:\u003c\/strong\u003e 외화와바꾼돈표 (Foreign Currency Exchange Certificate)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuer text:\u003c\/strong\u003e 조선민주주의인민공화국무역은행 (Foreign Trade Bank of the DPRK)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDenomination:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 won \/ 일원\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1988\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCurrency for Use by Foreign Visitors\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFamily\/Series:\u003c\/strong\u003e There were two types of currency for use by visitors, dated 1988\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor visitors from \u003cstrong\u003ecapitalist\u003c\/strong\u003e countries, \u003cstrong\u003eP-23 through P-30\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eChon\u003c\/strong\u003e notes (1 through 50 chon)\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlue regular issue\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePurple colour, Issued during the Pyongyang Cultural Festival in 1995\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePink, coat of arms at \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eleft\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, issued during the Arirang Festival in 2002\/2003\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWon\u003c\/strong\u003e notes, sage green (1 through 50 won)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor visitors from \u003cstrong\u003ecommunist\u003c\/strong\u003e (\"socialist\") countries, \u003cstrong\u003eP-31 through P-38\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eChon\u003c\/strong\u003e notes in pink, coat of arms at \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eright\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWon\u003c\/strong\u003e notes in crimson red on lavender \u003cstrong\u003e(this type)\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-35; Numista N#204288\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Banknote_paper\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePaper\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 111 × 55 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreign_Trade_Bank_of_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eForeign Trade Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemonetized:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e1992\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_Korean_won\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSecond North Korean Won\u003c\/a\u003e (1959–2009)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout North Korea\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Korea\" derives from the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Goryeo\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGoryeo dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (918–1392); \"\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJoseon\u003c\/a\u003e\" (조선), the name used domestically, refers to the ancient \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gojoseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGojoseon\u003c\/a\u003e kingdom\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pyongyang\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePyongyang\u003c\/a\u003e (city pop. ~3.1 million; metro ~3.5 million)\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Flat land\" or \"Peaceful land\" in Korean (평양, Pyong = flat\/peaceful, Yang = land)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~26 million (UN est.) — similar to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Texas\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTexas\u003c\/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Australia\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAustralia\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 120,538 km² (46,540 mi²) — similar to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMississippi\u003c\/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGreece\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita at\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e: ~$1,800 (highly estimated; no reliable official data)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Coal\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCoal\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Iron_ore\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eiron ore\u003c\/a\u003e, textiles, seafood (primarily to China)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/China\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eChina\u003c\/a\u003e (north), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Russia\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRussia\u003c\/a\u003e (northeast), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/South_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSouth Korea\u003c\/a\u003e (south, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_Demilitarized_Zone\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDMZ\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken language:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_language\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Koreans\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean\u003c\/a\u003e (~100%)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (1991); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Non-Aligned_Movement\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNon-Aligned Movement\u003c\/a\u003e (1975); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Group_of_77\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eG77\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gojoseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGojoseon\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Three_Kingdoms_of_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThree Kingdoms\u003c\/a\u003e period (2333 BC–668 AD)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Unified_Silla\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnified Silla\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Goryeo\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGoryeo dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (668–1392)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJoseon dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (1392–1897)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_Empire\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean Empire\u003c\/a\u003e (1897–1910)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korea_under_Japanese_rule\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJapanese colonial rule\u003c\/a\u003e (1910–1945)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Soviet_Civil_Administration\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSoviet occupation of northern Korea\u003c\/a\u003e (1945–1948)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemocratic People's Republic of Korea\u003c\/a\u003e proclaimed (1948) — \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Il-sung\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Il-sung\u003c\/a\u003e establishes the DPRK; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_War\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean War\u003c\/a\u003e (1950–1953) ends in armistice, not peace treaty\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDPRK under \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_dynasty_(North_Korea)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (1948–date) — this note issued during this period\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eNorth Korea Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cult_of_personality_in_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ecult of the Kim family\u003c\/a\u003e is the closest thing to a state religion on Earth. Every home and office is required by law to display framed portraits of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Il-sung\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Il-sung\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Jong-il\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Jong-il\u003c\/a\u003e, subject to official inspection. Citizens bow before statues and weep publicly at state ceremonies — behavior that defectors describe as both coerced and, for many, genuinely felt after a lifetime of total information control. Kim Il-sung holds the title \u003cem\u003eEternal President\u003c\/em\u003e despite having died in 1994. The state ideology of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Juche\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJuche\u003c\/a\u003e functions as a quasi-theology, with the Kims cast not merely as leaders but as the source of all national life.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe parallel currency system\u003c\/strong\u003e depicted on this note no longer exists. Today, foreign visitors to North Korea transact in US dollars, euros, or Chinese yuan. Only one department store in Pyongyang — the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rakwon_Department_Store\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRakwon Department Store\u003c\/a\u003e — allows visitors to exchange hard currency into local won and spend it alongside ordinary citizens.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_Korean_famine\" target=\"_blank\"\u003efamine of 1994–1998\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e — known in North Korea as the \"Arduous March\" — killed an estimated 240,000 to 3.5 million people. The government initially denied it was happening. Aid organizations were given limited and monitored access. The famine reshaped North Korean society, giving rise to informal markets (\u003cem\u003ejangmadang\u003c\/em\u003e) that persist to this day.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDespite near-total isolation, North Korea has launched multiple satellites into orbit and maintains \u003cstrong\u003eone of the largest \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_People%27s_Army\" target=\"_blank\"\u003estanding armies\u003c\/a\u003e on Earth\u003c\/strong\u003e — approximately 1.2 million active personnel.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Room_39\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRoom 39\u003c\/a\u003e, a clandestine bureau operating out of the Korean Workers' Party headquarters in Pyongyang, is widely believed to have produced the \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Superdollar\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\"Superdollar\"\u003c\/a\u003e — counterfeit US $100 bills\u003c\/strong\u003e so technically sophisticated that they were \u003cstrong\u003enearly indistinguishable\u003c\/strong\u003e from genuine Federal Reserve notes. The US Secret Service estimated hundreds of millions of dollars' worth entered circulation before the US redesigned the $100 bill partly in response.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA Banknote That Was Never Meant for You, Citizen!\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreign_exchange_certificate\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eForeign Exchange Certificate\u003c\/a\u003e system was North Korea's elegant solution to a hard-currency problem: how do you extract dollars, rubles, and deutschmarks from foreign visitors without letting ordinary citizens touch them? The answer was a parallel banknote — same denomination, same issuer, different colors, different world. Both types were redeemable only at Foreigners' Shops (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreigners%27_shop\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e외화상점\u003c\/a\u003e), stocked with goods unavailable to the general population.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMt. Myohyang: The Mountain of Gifts\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe building on the reverse is the \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/International_Friendship_Exhibition\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eInternational Friendship Exhibition\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, a vast underground complex carved into \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Myohyang_Mountains\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMt. Myohyang\u003c\/a\u003e (묘향산 — \"Mysterious Fragrance Mountain\"). It was built in 1978 to house the staggering volume of over 220,000 gifts received by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Il-sung\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Il-sung\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Jong-il\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Jong-il\u003c\/a\u003e from foreign dignitaries — including a bulletproof limousine from \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseph_Stalin\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eStalin\u003c\/a\u003e and a crocodile-leather briefcase from \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fidel_Castro\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFidel Castro\u003c\/a\u003e. The complex spans multiple buildings, each dedicated to a different region of the world. Visitors must wear shoe covers and speak in hushed tones. \u003cstrong\u003ePhotography is forbidden.\u003c\/strong\u003e The mountain itself is considered sacred in \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_shamanism\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean shamanic tradition\u003c\/a\u003e — a fitting home for a monument to dynastic legitimacy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e1988: The Year of the Seoul Olympics North Korea Boycotted\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis note was printed in \u003cstrong\u003e1988\u003c\/strong\u003e — the same year \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/South_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSouth Korea\u003c\/a\u003e hosted the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/1988_Summer_Olympics\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSeoul Summer Olympics\u003c\/a\u003e, an event North Korea \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_Korea_and_the_Olympics\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eboycotted\u003c\/a\u003e after failing to secure co-hosting rights. While Seoul showcased its economic miracle to the world, Pyongyang issued this certificate to the socialist visitors still willing to come. The contrast is encoded in the paper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOwn This Document of a Parallel Economy\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis P-35 socialist-visitor certificate is one of the most collectible \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Banknotes_of_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNorth Korean issues\u003c\/a\u003e precisely because of its specificity: it was printed for a defined ideological category of person, in a defined year, redeemable in a defined set of shops that no longer exist. \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemonetized in 1992\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, it survived the collapse of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Eastern_Bloc\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSoviet bloc\u003c\/a\u003e by becoming worthless — and then, decades later, invaluable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA crisp, uncirculated example of a closed economy's most candid admission: that not all money is created equal.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51969710850359,"sku":"KP35Ux10","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/35x10.jpg?v=1776210514"},{"product_id":"korea-p-37-10-won-1988-unc-communist-visitor-currency-great-leaders-gift-palace","title":"Korea P-37 10 Won 1988 UNC—Communist Visitor Currency—Great Leader's Gift Palace","description":"\u003cp\u003eA relic of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cold_War\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCold War\u003c\/a\u003e-era currency engineering, this 1988 North Korean \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreign_exchange_certificate\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eForeign Exchange Certificate\u003c\/a\u003e was never meant for ordinary citizens — it was issued\u003cstrong\u003e exclusively to visitors \u003c\/strong\u003eand diplomats from \u003cstrong\u003ecommunist\u003c\/strong\u003e (\"socialist\") countries (Soviet bloc and China), and portrays the \"\u003cstrong\u003ecastle\u003c\/strong\u003e\" museum exhibiting \u003cstrong\u003ehundreds of thousands of gifts to the Great Leader \u003c\/strong\u003eand his son.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OG-Tmdz7KkY?si=PVYmwKBGTmV531t7\u0026amp;start=10\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IrCQh1usdzE?si=cMfh5kAu5KFJY2NO\u0026amp;start=860\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBackground:\u003c\/strong\u003e pale lavender-pink\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDominant engraving:\u003c\/strong\u003e deep crimson-red\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAccents:\u003c\/strong\u003e light blue (globe waterdrops logo)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDenomination:\u003c\/strong\u003e numeral \"1\" in white, set within a large ornate red \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Guilloch%C3%A9\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eguilloche\u003c\/a\u003e rosette\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorder:\u003c\/strong\u003e elaborate multi-layered lathe-work border in crimson\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLogo:\u003c\/strong\u003e globe-and-grain logo of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreign_Trade_Bank_of_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eForeign Trade Bank\u003c\/a\u003e (left), in red and blue\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuer text:\u003c\/strong\u003e 조선민주주의인민공화국 \/ 무역은행 (Foreign Trade Bank of the DPRK)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDenomination text:\u003c\/strong\u003e 일 원 (One Won)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1988 (lower center)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBackground:\u003c\/strong\u003e pale lavender-pink\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDominant engraving:\u003c\/strong\u003e deep crimson-red\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAccents:\u003c\/strong\u003e blue-grey (globe logo, coat of arms)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain vignette:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/International_Friendship_Exhibition\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eInternational Friendship Exhibition\u003c\/a\u003e museum complex on \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Myohyang_Mountains\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMt. Myohyang\u003c\/a\u003e — a sprawling traditional Korean palace-style complex set among forested hills\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCoat of arms:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Emblem_of_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNational Coat of Arms of North Korea\u003c\/a\u003e (upper right)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLogo:\u003c\/strong\u003e globe-and-grain Foreign Trade Bank logo (right)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeader text:\u003c\/strong\u003e 외화와바꾼돈표 (Foreign Currency Exchange Certificate)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuer text:\u003c\/strong\u003e 조선민주주의인민공화국무역은행 (Foreign Trade Bank of the DPRK)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDenomination:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 won \/ 일원\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1988\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCurrency for Use by Foreign Visitors\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFamily\/Series:\u003c\/strong\u003e There were two types of currency for use by visitors, dated 1988\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor visitors from \u003cstrong\u003ecapitalist\u003c\/strong\u003e countries, \u003cstrong\u003eP-23 through P-30\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eChon\u003c\/strong\u003e notes (1 through 50 chon)\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlue regular issue\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePurple, Issued during the Pyongyang Cultural Festival in 1995\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePink, coat of arms at \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eleft\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, issued during the Arirang Festival in 2002\/2003\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWon\u003c\/strong\u003e notes, sage green (1 through 50 won)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor visitors from \u003cstrong\u003ecommunist\u003c\/strong\u003e (\"socialist\") countries, \u003cstrong\u003eP-31 through P-38\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eChon\u003c\/strong\u003e notes in pink, coat of arms at \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eright\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWon\u003c\/strong\u003e notes in crimson red on lavender \u003cstrong\u003e(this type)\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-35; Numista N#204288\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Banknote_paper\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePaper\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 111 × 55 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreign_Trade_Bank_of_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eForeign Trade Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemonetized:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e1992\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_Korean_won\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSecond North Korean Won\u003c\/a\u003e (1959–2009)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout North Korea\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Korea\" derives from the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Goryeo\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGoryeo dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (918–1392); \"\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJoseon\u003c\/a\u003e\" (조선), the name used domestically, refers to the ancient \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gojoseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGojoseon\u003c\/a\u003e kingdom\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pyongyang\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePyongyang\u003c\/a\u003e (city pop. ~3.1 million; metro ~3.5 million)\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Flat land\" or \"Peaceful land\" in Korean (평양, Pyong = flat\/peaceful, Yang = land)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~26 million (UN est.) — similar to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Texas\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTexas\u003c\/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Australia\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAustralia\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 120,538 km² (46,540 mi²) — similar to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMississippi\u003c\/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGreece\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita at\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e: ~$1,800 (highly estimated; no reliable official data)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Coal\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCoal\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Iron_ore\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eiron ore\u003c\/a\u003e, textiles, seafood (primarily to China)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/China\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eChina\u003c\/a\u003e (north), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Russia\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRussia\u003c\/a\u003e (northeast), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/South_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSouth Korea\u003c\/a\u003e (south, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_Demilitarized_Zone\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDMZ\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken language:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_language\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Koreans\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean\u003c\/a\u003e (~100%)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (1991); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Non-Aligned_Movement\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNon-Aligned Movement\u003c\/a\u003e (1975); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Group_of_77\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eG77\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gojoseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGojoseon\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Three_Kingdoms_of_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThree Kingdoms\u003c\/a\u003e period (2333 BC–668 AD)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Unified_Silla\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnified Silla\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Goryeo\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGoryeo dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (668–1392)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJoseon dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (1392–1897)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_Empire\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean Empire\u003c\/a\u003e (1897–1910)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korea_under_Japanese_rule\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJapanese colonial rule\u003c\/a\u003e (1910–1945)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Soviet_Civil_Administration\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSoviet occupation of northern Korea\u003c\/a\u003e (1945–1948)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemocratic People's Republic of Korea\u003c\/a\u003e proclaimed (1948) — \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Il-sung\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Il-sung\u003c\/a\u003e establishes the DPRK; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_War\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean War\u003c\/a\u003e (1950–1953) ends in armistice, not peace treaty\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDPRK under \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_dynasty_(North_Korea)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (1948–date) — this note issued during this period\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eNorth Korea Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cult_of_personality_in_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ecult of the Kim family\u003c\/a\u003e is the closest thing to a state religion on Earth. Every home and office is required by law to display framed portraits of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Il-sung\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Il-sung\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Jong-il\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Jong-il\u003c\/a\u003e, subject to official inspection. Citizens bow before statues and weep publicly at state ceremonies — behavior that defectors describe as both coerced and, for many, genuinely felt after a lifetime of total information control. Kim Il-sung holds the title \u003cem\u003eEternal President\u003c\/em\u003e despite having died in 1994. The state ideology of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Juche\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJuche\u003c\/a\u003e functions as a quasi-theology, with the Kims cast not merely as leaders but as the source of all national life.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe parallel currency system\u003c\/strong\u003e depicted on this note no longer exists. Today, foreign visitors to North Korea transact in US dollars, euros, or Chinese yuan. Only one department store in Pyongyang — the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rakwon_Department_Store\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRakwon Department Store\u003c\/a\u003e — allows visitors to exchange hard currency into local won and spend it alongside ordinary citizens.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_Korean_famine\" target=\"_blank\"\u003efamine of 1994–1998\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e — known in North Korea as the \"Arduous March\" — killed an estimated 240,000 to 3.5 million people. The government initially denied it was happening. Aid organizations were given limited and monitored access. The famine reshaped North Korean society, giving rise to informal markets (\u003cem\u003ejangmadang\u003c\/em\u003e) that persist to this day.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDespite near-total isolation, North Korea has launched multiple satellites into orbit and maintains \u003cstrong\u003eone of the largest \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_People%27s_Army\" target=\"_blank\"\u003estanding armies\u003c\/a\u003e on Earth\u003c\/strong\u003e — approximately 1.2 million active personnel.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Room_39\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRoom 39\u003c\/a\u003e, a clandestine bureau operating out of the Korean Workers' Party headquarters in Pyongyang, is widely believed to have produced the \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Superdollar\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\"Superdollar\"\u003c\/a\u003e — counterfeit US $100 bills\u003c\/strong\u003e so technically sophisticated that they were \u003cstrong\u003enearly indistinguishable\u003c\/strong\u003e from genuine Federal Reserve notes. The US Secret Service estimated hundreds of millions of dollars' worth entered circulation before the US redesigned the $100 bill partly in response.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA Banknote That Was Never Meant for You, Citizen!\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreign_exchange_certificate\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eForeign Exchange Certificate\u003c\/a\u003e system was North Korea's elegant solution to a hard-currency problem: how do you extract dollars, rubles, and deutschmarks from foreign visitors without letting ordinary citizens touch them? The answer was a parallel banknote — same denomination, same issuer, different colors, different world. Both types were redeemable only at Foreigners' Shops (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreigners%27_shop\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e외화상점\u003c\/a\u003e), stocked with goods unavailable to the general population.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMt. Myohyang: The Mountain of Gifts\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe building on the reverse is the \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/International_Friendship_Exhibition\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eInternational Friendship Exhibition\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, a vast underground complex carved into \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Myohyang_Mountains\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMt. Myohyang\u003c\/a\u003e (묘향산 — \"Mysterious Fragrance Mountain\"). It was built in 1978 to house the staggering volume of over 220,000 gifts received by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Il-sung\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Il-sung\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Jong-il\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Jong-il\u003c\/a\u003e from foreign dignitaries — including a bulletproof limousine from \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseph_Stalin\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eStalin\u003c\/a\u003e and a crocodile-leather briefcase from \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fidel_Castro\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFidel Castro\u003c\/a\u003e. The complex spans multiple buildings, each dedicated to a different region of the world. Visitors must wear shoe covers and speak in hushed tones. \u003cstrong\u003ePhotography is forbidden.\u003c\/strong\u003e The mountain itself is considered sacred in \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_shamanism\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean shamanic tradition\u003c\/a\u003e — a fitting home for a monument to dynastic legitimacy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e1988: The Year of the Seoul Olympics North Korea Boycotted\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis note was printed in \u003cstrong\u003e1988\u003c\/strong\u003e — the same year \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/South_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSouth Korea\u003c\/a\u003e hosted the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/1988_Summer_Olympics\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSeoul Summer Olympics\u003c\/a\u003e, an event North Korea \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_Korea_and_the_Olympics\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eboycotted\u003c\/a\u003e after failing to secure co-hosting rights. While Seoul showcased its economic miracle to the world, Pyongyang issued this certificate to the socialist visitors still willing to come. The contrast is encoded in the paper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOwn This Document of a Parallel Economy\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis P-35 socialist-visitor certificate is one of the most collectible \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Banknotes_of_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNorth Korean issues\u003c\/a\u003e precisely because of its specificity: it was printed for a defined ideological category of person, in a defined year, redeemable in a defined set of shops that no longer exist. \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemonetized in 1992\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, it survived the collapse of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Eastern_Bloc\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSoviet bloc\u003c\/a\u003e by becoming worthless — and then, decades later, invaluable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA crisp, uncirculated example of a closed economy's most candid admission: that not all money is created equal.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51993784647991,"sku":"KP37U","price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/37o_fd2e77f8-d908-45fe-bfb9-a40593ff4396.jpg?v=1776376225"},{"product_id":"korea-p-38-50-won-1988-unc-communist-visitor-currency-great-leaders-gift-palace-copy","title":"Korea P-38 50 Won 1988 UNC—Communist Visitor Currency—Great Leader's Gift Palace","description":"\u003cp\u003eA relic of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cold_War\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCold War\u003c\/a\u003e-era currency engineering, this 1988 North Korean \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreign_exchange_certificate\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eForeign Exchange Certificate\u003c\/a\u003e was never meant for ordinary citizens — it was issued\u003cstrong\u003e exclusively to visitors \u003c\/strong\u003eand diplomats from \u003cstrong\u003ecommunist\u003c\/strong\u003e (\"socialist\") countries (Soviet bloc and China), and portrays the \"\u003cstrong\u003ecastle\u003c\/strong\u003e\" museum exhibiting \u003cstrong\u003ehundreds of thousands of gifts to the Great Leader \u003c\/strong\u003eand his son.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OG-Tmdz7KkY?si=PVYmwKBGTmV531t7\u0026amp;start=10\" title=\"YouTube video player\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e\u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IrCQh1usdzE?si=cMfh5kAu5KFJY2NO\u0026amp;start=860\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBackground:\u003c\/strong\u003e pale lavender-pink\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDominant engraving:\u003c\/strong\u003e deep crimson-red\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAccents:\u003c\/strong\u003e light blue (globe waterdrops logo)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDenomination:\u003c\/strong\u003e numeral \"1\" in white, set within a large ornate red \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Guilloch%C3%A9\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eguilloche\u003c\/a\u003e rosette\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorder:\u003c\/strong\u003e elaborate multi-layered lathe-work border in crimson\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLogo:\u003c\/strong\u003e globe-and-grain logo of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreign_Trade_Bank_of_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eForeign Trade Bank\u003c\/a\u003e (left), in red and blue\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuer text:\u003c\/strong\u003e 조선민주주의인민공화국 \/ 무역은행 (Foreign Trade Bank of the DPRK)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDenomination text:\u003c\/strong\u003e 일 원 (One Won)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1988 (lower center)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBackground:\u003c\/strong\u003e pale lavender-pink\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDominant engraving:\u003c\/strong\u003e deep crimson-red\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAccents:\u003c\/strong\u003e blue-grey (globe logo, coat of arms)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain vignette:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/International_Friendship_Exhibition\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eInternational Friendship Exhibition\u003c\/a\u003e museum complex on \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Myohyang_Mountains\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMt. Myohyang\u003c\/a\u003e — a sprawling traditional Korean palace-style complex set among forested hills\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCoat of arms:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Emblem_of_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNational Coat of Arms of North Korea\u003c\/a\u003e (upper right)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLogo:\u003c\/strong\u003e globe-and-grain Foreign Trade Bank logo (right)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeader text:\u003c\/strong\u003e 외화와바꾼돈표 (Foreign Currency Exchange Certificate)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuer text:\u003c\/strong\u003e 조선민주주의인민공화국무역은행 (Foreign Trade Bank of the DPRK)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDenomination:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 won \/ 일원\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1988\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCurrency for Use by Foreign Visitors\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFamily\/Series:\u003c\/strong\u003e There were two types of currency for use by visitors, dated 1988\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor visitors from \u003cstrong\u003ecapitalist\u003c\/strong\u003e countries, \u003cstrong\u003eP-23 through P-30\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eChon\u003c\/strong\u003e notes (1 through 50 chon)\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlue regular issue\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePurple, Issued during the Pyongyang Cultural Festival in 1995\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePink, coat of arms at \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eleft\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, issued during the Arirang Festival in 2002\/2003\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWon\u003c\/strong\u003e notes, sage green (1 through 50 won)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor visitors from \u003cstrong\u003ecommunist\u003c\/strong\u003e (\"socialist\") countries, \u003cstrong\u003eP-31 through P-38\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eChon\u003c\/strong\u003e notes in pink, coat of arms at \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eright\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWon\u003c\/strong\u003e notes in crimson red on lavender \u003cstrong\u003e(this type)\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-35; Numista N#204288\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Banknote_paper\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePaper\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 111 × 55 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreign_Trade_Bank_of_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eForeign Trade Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemonetized:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e1992\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_Korean_won\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSecond North Korean Won\u003c\/a\u003e (1959–2009)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout North Korea\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Korea\" derives from the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Goryeo\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGoryeo dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (918–1392); \"\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJoseon\u003c\/a\u003e\" (조선), the name used domestically, refers to the ancient \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gojoseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGojoseon\u003c\/a\u003e kingdom\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pyongyang\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePyongyang\u003c\/a\u003e (city pop. ~3.1 million; metro ~3.5 million)\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Flat land\" or \"Peaceful land\" in Korean (평양, Pyong = flat\/peaceful, Yang = land)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~26 million (UN est.) — similar to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Texas\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTexas\u003c\/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Australia\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAustralia\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 120,538 km² (46,540 mi²) — similar to \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mississippi\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMississippi\u003c\/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greece\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGreece\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita at\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e: ~$1,800 (highly estimated; no reliable official data)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Coal\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCoal\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Iron_ore\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eiron ore\u003c\/a\u003e, textiles, seafood (primarily to China)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/China\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eChina\u003c\/a\u003e (north), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Russia\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRussia\u003c\/a\u003e (northeast), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/South_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSouth Korea\u003c\/a\u003e (south, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_Demilitarized_Zone\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDMZ\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken language:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_language\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Koreans\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean\u003c\/a\u003e (~100%)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (1991); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Non-Aligned_Movement\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNon-Aligned Movement\u003c\/a\u003e (1975); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Group_of_77\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eG77\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gojoseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGojoseon\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Three_Kingdoms_of_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThree Kingdoms\u003c\/a\u003e period (2333 BC–668 AD)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Unified_Silla\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnified Silla\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Goryeo\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGoryeo dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (668–1392)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJoseon dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (1392–1897)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_Empire\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean Empire\u003c\/a\u003e (1897–1910)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korea_under_Japanese_rule\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJapanese colonial rule\u003c\/a\u003e (1910–1945)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Soviet_Civil_Administration\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSoviet occupation of northern Korea\u003c\/a\u003e (1945–1948)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemocratic People's Republic of Korea\u003c\/a\u003e proclaimed (1948) — \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Il-sung\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Il-sung\u003c\/a\u003e establishes the DPRK; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_War\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean War\u003c\/a\u003e (1950–1953) ends in armistice, not peace treaty\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDPRK under \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_dynasty_(North_Korea)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (1948–date) — this note issued during this period\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eNorth Korea Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cult_of_personality_in_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ecult of the Kim family\u003c\/a\u003e is the closest thing to a state religion on Earth. Every home and office is required by law to display framed portraits of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Il-sung\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Il-sung\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Jong-il\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Jong-il\u003c\/a\u003e, subject to official inspection. Citizens bow before statues and weep publicly at state ceremonies — behavior that defectors describe as both coerced and, for many, genuinely felt after a lifetime of total information control. Kim Il-sung holds the title \u003cem\u003eEternal President\u003c\/em\u003e despite having died in 1994. The state ideology of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Juche\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJuche\u003c\/a\u003e functions as a quasi-theology, with the Kims cast not merely as leaders but as the source of all national life.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe parallel currency system\u003c\/strong\u003e depicted on this note no longer exists. Today, foreign visitors to North Korea transact in US dollars, euros, or Chinese yuan. Only one department store in Pyongyang — the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rakwon_Department_Store\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRakwon Department Store\u003c\/a\u003e — allows visitors to exchange hard currency into local won and spend it alongside ordinary citizens.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_Korean_famine\" target=\"_blank\"\u003efamine of 1994–1998\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e — known in North Korea as the \"Arduous March\" — killed an estimated 240,000 to 3.5 million people. The government initially denied it was happening. Aid organizations were given limited and monitored access. The famine reshaped North Korean society, giving rise to informal markets (\u003cem\u003ejangmadang\u003c\/em\u003e) that persist to this day.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDespite near-total isolation, North Korea has launched multiple satellites into orbit and maintains \u003cstrong\u003eone of the largest \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_People%27s_Army\" target=\"_blank\"\u003estanding armies\u003c\/a\u003e on Earth\u003c\/strong\u003e — approximately 1.2 million active personnel.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Room_39\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRoom 39\u003c\/a\u003e, a clandestine bureau operating out of the Korean Workers' Party headquarters in Pyongyang, is widely believed to have produced the \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Superdollar\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\"Superdollar\"\u003c\/a\u003e — counterfeit US $100 bills\u003c\/strong\u003e so technically sophisticated that they were \u003cstrong\u003enearly indistinguishable\u003c\/strong\u003e from genuine Federal Reserve notes. The US Secret Service estimated hundreds of millions of dollars' worth entered circulation before the US redesigned the $100 bill partly in response.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA Banknote That Was Never Meant for You, Citizen!\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreign_exchange_certificate\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eForeign Exchange Certificate\u003c\/a\u003e system was North Korea's elegant solution to a hard-currency problem: how do you extract dollars, rubles, and deutschmarks from foreign visitors without letting ordinary citizens touch them? The answer was a parallel banknote — same denomination, same issuer, different colors, different world. Both types were redeemable only at Foreigners' Shops (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Foreigners%27_shop\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e외화상점\u003c\/a\u003e), stocked with goods unavailable to the general population.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMt. Myohyang: The Mountain of Gifts\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe building on the reverse is the \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/International_Friendship_Exhibition\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eInternational Friendship Exhibition\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, a vast underground complex carved into \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Myohyang_Mountains\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMt. Myohyang\u003c\/a\u003e (묘향산 — \"Mysterious Fragrance Mountain\"). It was built in 1978 to house the staggering volume of over 220,000 gifts received by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Il-sung\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Il-sung\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Jong-il\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Jong-il\u003c\/a\u003e from foreign dignitaries — including a bulletproof limousine from \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseph_Stalin\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eStalin\u003c\/a\u003e and a crocodile-leather briefcase from \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fidel_Castro\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFidel Castro\u003c\/a\u003e. The complex spans multiple buildings, each dedicated to a different region of the world. Visitors must wear shoe covers and speak in hushed tones. \u003cstrong\u003ePhotography is forbidden.\u003c\/strong\u003e The mountain itself is considered sacred in \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_shamanism\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean shamanic tradition\u003c\/a\u003e — a fitting home for a monument to dynastic legitimacy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e1988: The Year of the Seoul Olympics North Korea Boycotted\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis note was printed in \u003cstrong\u003e1988\u003c\/strong\u003e — the same year \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/South_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSouth Korea\u003c\/a\u003e hosted the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/1988_Summer_Olympics\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSeoul Summer Olympics\u003c\/a\u003e, an event North Korea \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_Korea_and_the_Olympics\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eboycotted\u003c\/a\u003e after failing to secure co-hosting rights. While Seoul showcased its economic miracle to the world, Pyongyang issued this certificate to the socialist visitors still willing to come. The contrast is encoded in the paper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eOwn This Document of a Parallel Economy\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis P-35 socialist-visitor certificate is one of the most collectible \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Banknotes_of_North_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNorth Korean issues\u003c\/a\u003e precisely because of its specificity: it was printed for a defined ideological category of person, in a defined year, redeemable in a defined set of shops that no longer exist. \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemonetized in 1992\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, it survived the collapse of the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Eastern_Bloc\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSoviet bloc\u003c\/a\u003e by becoming worthless — and then, decades later, invaluable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA crisp, uncirculated example of a closed economy's most candid admission: that not all money is created equal.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51993829048631,"sku":"KP38U","price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/38o.jpg?v=1776376878"},{"product_id":"korea-p-cs21-1000-won-2018-unc-commemorative-70th-anniversary-republic","title":"Korea P-CS21 1000 Won 2018 UNC—Commemorative—70th Anniversary of Regime","description":"\u003cp\u003eA rare commemorative overprint marking the \u003cstrong\u003e70th Anniversary of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (1948–2018)\u003c\/strong\u003e — one of the most isolated and tightly controlled nations on Earth, issuing banknotes that almost no one inside the country ever collects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMangyongdae\u003c\/strong\u003e — the birthplace of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Il-sung\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Il Sung\u003c\/a\u003e, depicted as a traditional Korean log cabin in a forested hillside setting\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eState emblem\u003c\/strong\u003e — featuring a hydroelectric power station, a shining star, and the Paektu-san mountain, framed by rice sheaves and a red ribbon\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCommemorative overprint\u003c\/strong\u003e — text in green and red at center-left beneath the coat of arms, marking the 70th anniversary of the republic\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInscriptions in \u003cstrong\u003eHangul\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLake Samji\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Samjiyon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSamjiyon\u003c\/a\u003e) — a scenic volcanic caldera lake near Mount Paektu in the far north of North Korea, promoted as a revolutionary and tourist site\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInscriptions in \u003cstrong\u003eHangul\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVarieties:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOverprint 2018 — this note\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eSpecimen\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBank Note Museum (banknote.ws) lists as Pick P-CS21;\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNumista lists as Pick P-CS23 and Numista #204571\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Blossoms of Siebold's Magnolia\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSecurity thread:\u003c\/strong\u003e Present\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 145 × 65 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Central_Bank_of_the_Democratic_People%27s_Republic_of_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCentral Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea\u003c\/a\u003e (조선민주주의인민공화국중앙은행)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignatures:\u003c\/strong\u003e None\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemonetized:\u003c\/strong\u003e No — \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003edemonetization\u003c\/a\u003e of the Third Won has not occurred\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e Third Won (2009–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial language:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_language\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout North Korea\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Korea\" derives from the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Goryeo\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGoryeo dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (918–1392 AD); \"North\" distinguishes it from South Korea following the 1945 partition. The Korean name \u003cem\u003eJoseon\u003c\/em\u003e (조선) references the ancient \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJoseon dynasty\u003c\/a\u003e (1392–1897)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pyongyang\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePyongyang\u003c\/a\u003e — city pop. ~3.1 million; metro pop. ~3.3 million\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e From Korean \u003cem\u003ePyeongyang\u003c\/em\u003e (평양), meaning \"flat land\" or \"peaceful land\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~26 million (UN 2024) — similar to Texas or Australia\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 120,538 km² (46,541 mi²) — similar to Mississippi or Greece\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e):\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$1,800 (est.) — one of the lowest in the world; reliable data is unavailable due to state secrecy\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Coal, iron ore, zinc, copper, textiles, seafood (largely via illicit channels due to UN sanctions)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/China\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eChina\u003c\/a\u003e (north), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Russia\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRussia\u003c\/a\u003e (northeast), \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/South_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSouth Korea\u003c\/a\u003e (south, DMZ)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken language:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_language\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Koreans\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean\u003c\/a\u003e (~100%)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (1991); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Non-Aligned_Movement\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNon-Aligned Movement\u003c\/a\u003e (1975); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/G77\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eG77\u003c\/a\u003e;\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAncient Korean kingdoms — \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gojoseon\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGojoseon\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Three_Kingdoms_of_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThree Kingdoms\u003c\/a\u003e, Goryeo, Joseon\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korea_under_Japanese_rule\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJapanese colonial rule\u003c\/a\u003e (1910–1945)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSoviet occupation of northern Korea (1945–1948)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Democratic_People%27s_Republic_of_Korea\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemocratic People's Republic of Korea\u003c\/a\u003e proclaimed (1948) under \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Il-sung\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Il Sung\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Korean_War\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean War\u003c\/a\u003e (1950–1953) — armistice, no peace treaty; technically still at war with South Korea\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKim dynasty rule (1948–date): Kim Il Sung → \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Jong-il\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Jong Il\u003c\/a\u003e → \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kim_Jong-un\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKim Jong Un\u003c\/a\u003e — \u003cstrong\u003ethis note issued during Kim Jong Un's rule\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eNorth Korea Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNorth Korea has conducted \u003cstrong\u003esix nuclear weapons tests\u003c\/strong\u003e (2006–2017) and possesses an estimated 40–50 warheads as of 2024\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe country operates a \u003cstrong\u003esongbun\u003c\/strong\u003e (성분) caste system — citizens are classified by political loyalty into 51 sub-categories that determine housing, food, education, and career for life\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn estimated \u003cstrong\u003e80,000–120,000 people\u003c\/strong\u003e are held in political prison camps (\u003cem\u003ekwanliso\u003c\/em\u003e), where three generations of a family can be imprisoned for one person's perceived disloyalty\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNorth Korea has the \u003cstrong\u003eworld's largest military relative to population\u003c\/strong\u003e — roughly 1.28 million active troops out of 26 million people\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe country operates on \u003cstrong\u003eJuche calendar\u003c\/strong\u003e — year 1 is 1912, the birth year of Kim Il Sung; 2024 is Juche 113\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eElectricity is so scarce that \u003cstrong\u003esatellite images at night\u003c\/strong\u003e show North Korea as almost entirely dark between the bright lights of China and South Korea\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eDMZ\u003c\/strong\u003e (Demilitarized Zone) separating North and South Korea has, paradoxically, become one of the most biodiverse wildlife corridors in Asia due to 70+ years of human absence\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Hermit Kingdom's Banknote\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNorth Korea's banknotes are among the \u003cstrong\u003emost difficult to legally obtain\u003c\/strong\u003e in the world. The state controls all currency flows; ordinary citizens rarely handle foreign currency, and exporting won is effectively prohibited. This note reached the outside world through the narrow channels of diplomatic exchange, defector networks, or sanctioned numismatic trade — making every example a minor miracle of provenance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMangyongdae: Sacred Ground of the Kim Cult\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe log cabin at \u003cstrong\u003eMangyongdae\u003c\/strong\u003e is North Korea's most sacred secular site — the birthplace of Kim Il Sung, visited by millions of schoolchildren annually as a mandatory pilgrimage. Its depiction on currency is not decorative; it is \u003cstrong\u003eideological\u003c\/strong\u003e. The state emblem alongside it — hydroelectric dam, shining star, Paektu-san — encodes the entire mythology of the DPRK: \u003cem\u003eself-reliance, revolutionary origin, eternal leadership\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eLake Samji: Where the Revolution Was Born\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLake Samji\u003c\/strong\u003e sits near Mount Paektu, the volcanic peak the Kim dynasty claims as the birthplace of Kim Jong Il (a claim disputed by historians, who place his birth in the Soviet Union). The lake and mountain are the \u003cstrong\u003espiritual heartland of North Korean mythology\u003c\/strong\u003e — appearing on stamps, murals, and now this commemorative note. To own this reverse is to hold a piece of the most elaborately constructed personality cult in modern history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA 70th Anniversary the World Wasn't Invited To\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003e2018 overprint\u003c\/strong\u003e commemorates seven decades of the DPRK — a state that has outlasted the Soviet Union, survived famine, sanctions, and international isolation, and passed power through three generations of a single family. The overprint itself is modest: green and red text on the obverse. But the note it marks is anything but. \u003cstrong\u003eOwn this\u003c\/strong\u003e piece of one of history's most extraordinary political experiments — a nation that prints its own mythology directly onto its money.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCondition: Uncirculated (UNC). Shipped in a protective sleeve.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52092685943095,"sku":"KPCS21-1000-70th-UNC","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/CS21-1000o.jpg?v=1778087817"},{"product_id":"north-korea-p-30a-1-50-won-1988-green-capitalist-visitor-chollima-coat-of-arms","title":"Korea P-30a.1 50 Won 1988—Green \"Capitalist Visitor\"—VF Very Fine—Chŏllima Flying Horse","description":"\u003cp\u003eA rare Cold War relic from one of the world's most secretive states — a banknote issued exclusively for capitalist visitors to the DPRK, in a parallel currency system designed to keep foreign exchange separate from the domestic economy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e green background; dark green engraving; light green accents\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStylized nuclear power symbol\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWinged equestrian statue \u003cstrong\u003eChŏllima\u003c\/strong\u003e in Pyongyang\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNational Coat of Arms\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInscriptions in Hangul: \u003cem\u003e조선민주주의인민공화국 무역은행 외화와바꾼돈표 오십원 1988\u003c\/em\u003e (Foreign Trade Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Foreign currency exchange, Fifty Won)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e green background; dark green engraving\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDenomination in Hangul: \u003cem\u003e오십원\u003c\/em\u003e (Fifty Won)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInscriptions: \u003cem\u003e조선민주주의인민공화국 무역은행 50\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVarieties:\u003c\/strong\u003e you may receive any variety:\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eP-30a.1 — Green, Capitalist Visitor issue — this note\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eP-30a.2 — Purple, issued during the Pyongyang Cultural Festival 1995\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e P-30a.1; Numista N#204264\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatermark:\u003c\/strong\u003e Chŏllima horse\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 140 × 70 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e Foreign Trade Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (조선민주주의인민공화국무역은행)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDemonetized\u003c\/a\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1992\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e Second Won (1959–2009)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eA Currency for Capitalists Only\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNorth Korea operated a \u003cstrong\u003edual currency system\u003c\/strong\u003e during the Cold War era. Ordinary citizens used the domestic won, while foreign visitors — especially those from capitalist countries — were required to exchange their hard currency for special \u003cstrong\u003eForeign Exchange Certificates\u003c\/strong\u003e (외화와바꾼돈표). These notes circulated only in designated hard-currency shops (called \u003cem\u003eRakwon\u003c\/em\u003e stores) inaccessible to ordinary North Koreans. The green series was specifically issued for \u003cstrong\u003ecapitalist-country visitors\u003c\/strong\u003e, while a separate red series served socialist-bloc tourists. It's a physical artifact of the ideological wall that divided not just nations, but currencies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Chŏllima — North Korea's Mythic Stallion\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eChŏllima\u003c\/strong\u003e (천리마, \"thousand-li horse\") is a legendary winged horse from East Asian mythology capable of covering \u003cstrong\u003e400 km in a single day\u003c\/strong\u003e — a creature so swift no rider could mount it. Kim Il-sung adopted it as the symbol of the \u003cstrong\u003eChŏllima Movement\u003c\/strong\u003e launched in \u003cstrong\u003e1956\u003c\/strong\u003e, North Korea's answer to the Soviet Stakhanovite movement, urging workers to superhuman feats of socialist production. The bronze statue on this note stands atop the \u003cstrong\u003eChŏllima Statue\u003c\/strong\u003e monument in Pyongyang, erected in \u003cstrong\u003e1961\u003c\/strong\u003e, where a worker and a peasant woman ride the horse skyward — a permanent fixture of DPRK iconography.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eOwn This Piece of the Hermit Kingdom\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis P-30a.1 in \u003cstrong\u003eVery Fine\u003c\/strong\u003e condition is a genuine artifact of North Korea's parallel economy — a note that once changed hands only within the tightly controlled world of DPRK hard-currency commerce. Few outsiders ever held one legally. Now you can.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCondition: \u003cstrong\u003eVery Fine (VF)\u003c\/strong\u003e. A well-circulated note with sharp design elements and good color. Ships securely in a protective sleeve.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout North Korea\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"Korea\" derives from the \u003cstrong\u003eGoryeo dynasty\u003c\/strong\u003e (918–1392); \"North\" distinguishes it from South Korea following the 1945 partition. The country's official name, \u003cem\u003eChosŏn\u003c\/em\u003e (조선), references the earlier \u003cstrong\u003eJoseon dynasty\u003c\/strong\u003e (1392–1897).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pyongyang\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePyongyang\u003c\/a\u003e — city pop. ~3.1 million; metro pop. ~3.3 million (est.).\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pyongyang (평양) means \u003cstrong\u003e\"flat land\"\u003c\/strong\u003e or \"level ground\" in Korean, describing the flat terrain of the Taedong River basin.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~26 million (UN est.) — comparable to Texas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 120,538 km² (46,541 mi²) — slightly larger than Pennsylvania; similar to Greece\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e):\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$1,800 (est.; no official data)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Coal, iron ore, zinc, copper, textiles, seafood (largely via China despite UN sanctions)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e China (north), Russia (northeast), South Korea (south, DMZ)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken language:\u003c\/strong\u003e Korean\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Koreans\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKorean\u003c\/a\u003e (~100%)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUnited Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (joined 1991, simultaneously with South Korea); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Non-Aligned_Movement\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNon-Aligned Movement\u003c\/a\u003e (joined 1975)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAncient Korean kingdoms (Gojoseon, Three Kingdoms, Goryeo, Joseon)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJapanese annexation (1910–1945)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSoviet occupation of the north \/ US occupation of the south (1945–1948)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDemocratic People's Republic of Korea proclaimed (1948) — Kim Il-sung as leader\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKorean War (1950–1953) — armistice, no peace treaty; technically still at war with South Korea\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKim Il-sung era (1948–1994); Kim Jong-il (1994–2011); Kim Jong-un (2011–date) — this note issued during the Kim Il-sung era\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eNorth Korea Unfiltered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJuche ideology:\u003c\/strong\u003e North Korea's state philosophy of \u003cstrong\u003eself-reliance\u003c\/strong\u003e (주체) was codified by Kim Il-sung and is enshrined in the constitution — it effectively replaces Marxism-Leninism as the official guiding doctrine.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSongbun system:\u003c\/strong\u003e Citizens are classified into \u003cstrong\u003e51 loyalty categories\u003c\/strong\u003e (songbun) based on their family's political history going back three generations, determining where they can live, work, and study.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLargest stadium on Earth:\u003c\/strong\u003e The \u003cstrong\u003eRungrado 1st of May Stadium\u003c\/strong\u003e in Pyongyang holds 114,000 people — the largest stadium in the world by capacity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNo internet:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ordinary citizens have no access to the global internet; instead they use \u003cstrong\u003eKwangmyong\u003c\/strong\u003e, a domestic intranet with state-approved content only.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFamine of the 1990s:\u003c\/strong\u003e The \u003cstrong\u003eArduous March\u003c\/strong\u003e (고난의 행군) famine of 1994–1998 killed an estimated \u003cstrong\u003e240,000 to 3.5 million people\u003c\/strong\u003e — a staggering range reflecting the near-total opacity of DPRK data.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eParallel time zone:\u003c\/strong\u003e From 2015 to 2018, North Korea operated on \u003cstrong\u003ePyongyang Time\u003c\/strong\u003e (UTC+8:30), a unique half-hour offset created to symbolize independence from Japan — then quietly abandoned.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52519819477303,"sku":"KP30a1VF","price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/30a1o.jpg?v=1782322618"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/collections\/il_fullxfull.7381316497_t2by.jpg?v=1775594772","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/collections\/north-korea.oembed?page=2","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}