5 Chon

The Trade Bank of Korea (북조선무역은행) issued this note exclusively for use by foreign visitors — it was never intended to circulate among North Korean citizens. The 1988 series came in two distinct versions: notes with a red serial number were for visitors from socialist countries, while blue serial numbers designated capitalist-country visitors, who faced different exchange restrictions and access privileges within the country's tightly managed foreign currency system.

These visitor currency schemes were a Cold War-era mechanism for extracting hard currency while maintaining strict internal economic controls. The 5 Chon is the lowest denomination of the series.