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5 Chon Socialist Visitor
| Issuer | Foreign Trade Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1988 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Pink and rose tones throughout, with a large central guilloche rosette enclosing the numeral '5' in bold intaglio print. The National Coat of Arms is positioned in the upper right corner above the issuer's name in Korean, with the date '1988' and denomination '오전' at lower right. A serial number prefix and six-digit numeral appear at lower left, and a dark horizontal lathe-work band runs across the lower portion of the note. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 외화와바꾼돈표 조선민주주의인민공화국 무역은행 1988 5 오전 (Translation: Foreign currency exchange certificate, Foreign Trade Bank of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Five Chon) |
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| Comments |
North Korea maintained a parallel currency system for foreign visitors well into the late twentieth century — separate notes were issued by denomination and color-coded by intended user category. This note belongs to the "socialist visitor" series, meaning it was designated for travelers from allied socialist countries, as distinct from the red-series notes reserved for capitalist-country visitors and the blue series for overseas Koreans. The distinction was functional: each category carried different purchasing access within the state-controlled Foreigners' shops (known as Rakwon stores).
The Foreign Trade Bank, not the Central Bank, administered the system — a detail that reflects how the won券 certificate network was treated as a trade and foreign exchange tool rather than a domestic monetary instrument. The entire visitor certificate system was abolished in 2002 during North Korea's limited economic reforms.