Asia-Pacific
🇰🇵North Korea
We have not reviewed North Korea provider by provider yet. Providers with a published country list are shown as they publish it; others are marked “not yet reviewed”. Know the answer? Tell us.
11 million people in North Korea work for themselves, and many are online. Yet a business registered here can sign up with only 0 of the 12 global payment, account and payout providers we track.
Sources: World Bank / ITU, internet users, World Bank Global Findex, account ownership, World Bank / ILO, self-employment. Self-employed includes market traders, farmers and freelancers (ILO estimates).
Comprehensive sanctions block every provider we track.
Payment, account and payout providers
0 / 12
Stablecoins
If your business is registered here
What each provider offers to a company incorporated in North Korea.
Not available to businesses here: Adyen, Airwallex, Bridge, BVNK, Checkout.com, dLocal, Hyperwallet, Mercury, Payoneer, PayPal, Rain, Ramp, Stripe, Wise Business, Worldpay.
Stablecoin rules
We have not reviewed the stablecoin rules here yet.
A summary, not legal advice. Rules are changing quickly.
Stablecoins without a provider
Stablecoins can be held in a self-custody wallet that only you control, so they work anywhere with an internet connection, whether or not any provider serves North Korea. What decides whether that is useful here is the law, and a way to swap them for local money.
- 1Get a wallet
Self-custody wallet software runs on any phone, though app stores and wallet makers often block downloads here because of sanctions.
- 2Hold and send stablecoins
Transfers work on the internet, but issuers like Circle and Tether follow sanctions law and can freeze wallets linked to sanctioned countries.
- 3Swap to and from KPW
None of the providers we track serve this country.
Is it legal? We have not reviewed the local rules yet.
In a self-custody wallet, you alone hold the keys: lose them and the money is gone, and there is no deposit insurance or chargeback. Not legal or financial advice.
Payments in North Korea: common questions
Which payment providers work for businesses in North Korea?
None of the 15 global providers we track onboard businesses registered in North Korea.
Does Stripe work in North Korea?
No. Stripe does not onboard businesses registered in North Korea.
Does PayPal work in North Korea?
No. PayPal does not onboard businesses registered in North Korea.
Are stablecoins legal in North Korea?
Not yet reviewed (risk not assessed). We have not reviewed the stablecoin rules here yet.
Provider by provider
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