North Korea Turns to the West: Imitations and Hidden Realities

Kokcha News Agency: North Korea is imitating Western consumer culture to mitigate the impact of international sanctions and generate foreign currency. In the capital Pyongyang, the wealthy sip coffee at a fake Starbucks, while a luxurious resort in Wonsan, 160 kilometers to the east, opens its doors to tourists.

Imitations of Western Brands
New footage obtained by The New York Times reveals how modernization efforts are fueling a consumer culture in one of the world’s most closed regimes. A Chinese student who spoke to the newspaper said she expected poverty and scarcity before arriving in the capital but was surprised to find a “luxurious environment.”

“North Korea’s IKEA”
The Rangrang Patriotic Geumganggwan shopping mall, dubbed “North Korea’s IKEA,” offers a wide range of products, from furniture to kitchenware. Some of the products are packaged in designs nearly identical to IKEA’s.

A Fake Starbucks
Inside the mall, there’s a café called “Mirai Reserve,” a near-perfect copy of the global coffee chain Starbucks. The Chinese student recounted paying around $25 for three coffees there. Both IKEA and Starbucks have stated that they do not operate in North Korea. Experts suggest that while leader Kim Jong-un publicly rejects Western influence, he is promoting this consumer culture to appeal to Pyongyang’s elite.

The Talked-About Resort
One of the country’s most ambitious projects is the Wonsan Kalma coastal resort on the eastern coast. Dubbed “North Korea’s Waikiki” by South Korean media, the 2.5-kilometer beachfront is equipped with new hotels, a water park, and beach activities. Last month, the resort hosted its first group of tourists from Russia.

Daria Zubkova, a 35-year-old veterinarian, paid $1,400 for a week-long stay and described the experience as “everything was brand new, from the train to the hotel room. It was like a painting made just for you.”