20 Won Rowing

North Korea's commemorative coinage of the 2000s was produced almost entirely for the export collector market, with virtually no domestic circulation — hard currency from foreign buyers was the point, not numismatic pride. The Central Bank issued dozens of brass and cupro-nickel pieces through this period via intermediary dealers in Europe and Asia, many sharing the same planchet specifications across unrelated themes.

The 2008 date aligns with the Beijing Olympics, which North Korea attended, sending a small delegation of athletes including rowers.