When was the North Korean won first introduced?

The currency was officially established and put into circulation on December 6, 1947, marking a pivotal moment in the early economic history of the DPRK. This date is referenced in historical records and Wikipedia archives as the start time for the currency's existence.

How is the North Korean won represented in international standards and digital systems?

Internationally, the currency is designated by the ISO 4217 code KPW and uses the symbol ₩. In digital and scientific contexts, it is recognized by specific identifiers such as the QUDT Unit ID (CCY_KPW) and the Wolfram Language Unit Code ("NorthKoreanWon").

What languages provide documentation for the North Korean won?

The entity is documented across 68 different language editions of Wikipedia, ranging from major languages like English, Chinese, and Russian to regional languages such as Cantonese, Korean, and Arabic. This extensive linguistic coverage reflects its status as a significant global economic entity.

Are there historical records or specific banknotes associated with the North Korean won?

Yes, historical documentation includes specific banknotes such as the 5 won note issued in 1959, which is cataloged in Wikimedia Commons. These artifacts serve as physical evidence of the currency's evolution and design history since its inception in 1947.

North Korean won

Q: What is the official currency of North Korea and who issues it?

The North Korean won is the sole legal tender in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, issued and regulated by the Central Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It functions as the standard unit for all domestic financial transactions and economic planning within the country.

Official currency of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Intangible currency Q106720

Facts

15 properties

Instance of: currency, won^[3]
Country: North Korea^[2]
Applies to jurisdiction: North Korea^[7]
Central bank/issuer: Central Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea^[5]
Currency sign: ₩^[4]
Image last checked license: CC BY-SA 4.0
Image needs reharvest: False
Image purged at: 2026-04-29 01:03:45.333481+00
Image purged license: cc-by-sa
Image unavailable reason: no_pd_license
McCune–Reischauer romanization: Chosŏn minjujuŭi inmin konghwakuk wŏn^[8]
Price: +0.0009^[10]
Revised Romanization: Joseon minjujuui inmin gonghwaguk won^[9]
Start time: December 6, 1947^[6]
Unit symbol: ₩^[11]

🏷️ Also known as

en North Korean won ar وون كوري شمالي cs Severokorejský won da Nordkoreansk won da nordkoreanske won de nordkoreanischer Won el Γουόν Βόρειας Κορέας es won norcoreano es wŏn norcoreano fa وون کره شمالی fi Pohjois-Korean won fr won nord-coréen he וון צפון-קוריאני he וון צפון קוריאני hi उत्तर कोरियाई वॉन hu észak-koreai von id Won Korea Utara it won nordcoreano ja KPW ja 北朝鮮ウォン

🔖 Identifiers · 12

Image (Wikimedia Commons): 1959-5won-2.jpg ↗
Freebase ID: /m/01rn14
Great Russian Encyclopedia portal ID: severokoreiskaia-vona-f93426
ISO 4217 code: KPW
Interlingual Index ID: i108878
Namuwiki ID: 북한 원
PermID: 500190
QUDT dimension ID: A0E0L0I0M0H0T0D1
QUDT unit ID: CCY_KPW
WikiKids ID: Noord-Koreaanse_won
Wolfram Language unit code: "NorthKoreanWon"
WordNet 3.1 Synset ID: 13731097-n

Report an error or request removal Lineage (PROV-JSON)

🔗 Connections

← Currency 4

North Korea, economy of North Korea, Soviet Civil Administration, People's Committee of North Korea

Applies to jurisdiction 1

North Korea

Central bank/issuer 1

Central Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Country 1

North Korea

Instance of 1

currency

← FactGrid item ID 1

Bieuzy

← Replaced by 1

won of the Red Army Command

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Summary

North Korean won is a currency^[1].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

Class ancestry

[1] ↑ North Korean won is an instance of currency (Q8142) [P31, primary]. Wikidata. wikidata.org.

📑 Cite this page

Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA

4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). North Korean won. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/north-korean-won

MLA “North Korean won.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 6 Nov. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/north-korean-won.

BibTeX

@misc{4ortxyz_north-korean-won_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{North Korean won}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/north-korean-won}, note = {Accessed: 2026-11-06}}

LLM prompt

According to 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph (aggregator of Wikidata, Wikipedia, and authoritative open-data sources): North Korean won — https://4ort.xyz/entity/north-korean-won (retrieved 2026-11-06)

Canonical URL: https://4ort.xyz/entity/north-korean-won · Last refreshed: November 6, 2026