North Korea's oil price dives amid sanctions: RFA

The prices of diesel oil and gasoline in North Korea showed significant drops this month thanks to their alleged massive supply from Russia, a U.S. broadcaster reported Sunday, citing a Japanese report.

According to the Tokyo-based Asia Press International (API) report on the North's market price index, diesel oil was sold at 6,765 North Korean won ($0.82) per kilogram and gasoline at 15,990 won, Radio Free Asia said.

The figures represented respective drops of more than 60 percent and 25 percent from 17,500 won and 23,250 won early last month, the broadcaster said.

Jiro Ishimaru, head of API Osaka, discovered that the plunges began late last month, according to the broadcaster.

Notable is that the declines took place amid U.N. sanctions on North Korea's imports of oil products. The U.N. Security Council adopted Resolution 2375, targeting such imports a few days after Pyongyang conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on Sept. 3.

In its Nov. 14 story, API said the prices of diesel oil and gasoline turned their course from upward to downward, owing to massive imports from Russia, citing a source from the North Korean border province of Yanggang. (Yonhap)