North Korean won
The won (; , ; symbol: ₩; code: KPW) or Korean People's won is the official currency of North Korea. It is subdivided into 100 "chon". The won is issued by the Central Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, based in the capital city, Pyongyang.
North Korea's illicit activities
Counterfeiting currency is alleged to have begun in the 1970s under Kim Jong-il's direction; however, the notes produced at the time were not of high quality. Since then, and within the jurisdiction of Room 39, the North Korean government has counterfeited $50 and $100 United States banknotes using increasingly sophisticated techniques. In 1994, authorities in Hong Kong and Macao apprehended five North Korean diplomats and trade-mission members carrying around $430,000 in bills that turned out to be "superdollar" (also called "supernote") counterfeits. There have been two primary reasons for counterfeiting: the first is to wage economic warfare against the United States, and secondly, to help ease North Korea's domestic economic problems. According to a report by Dr. Balbina Hwang of American University, North Korea circulated $100 million in counterfeit currency in 2001. The revenues from this are estimated at between $15 million and $25 million annually. In 2013, the United States released its newly redesigned 100 dollar bill. The primary purpose of the redesign was to fight against counterfeiting and prevent the recurrence of the "supernotes" which were produced by North Korea.