A NORTH Korean “mall vlog” uploaded to TikTok has baffled users by making the shock revelation that brands including Ikea, Chanel and Dior have branches there.
The internet was surprised to learn that the household names would do business in a country with so many restrictions on freedom – not to mention UN sanctions banning the sale of western goods there.
9
9
9
Also apparently surprised by the North Korean Ikea branch was – Ikea.
So, what’s going on? Can Kim Jong-un really pop down the road for a plate of Swedish meatballs?
The flatpack furniture phenomenon says not.
The company told Swedish newspaper Expressen: “There are no authorized Ikea retailers in North Korea.”
They added that violations of intellectual property rights are continuously monitored and “appropriate action taken”.
The furniture maker has 480 stores in 63 different countries and North Korea is not supposed to be one of them.
However, the mall video clearly shows a shop filled with desks, tables, chairs and other chipboard delights under the iconic IKEA logo.
So it looks like the DPRK state ordered the construction of a knock-off store without permission – or any effort to disguise the fact they had done so.
It’s unclear whether genuine IKEA products are being sold in the outlet or if the wares are fake.
China is North Korea’s biggest trading partner and so it is possible that items intended for that market have been smuggled into North Korea.
However, China is also known for producing convincing replicas of high-end branded products which could be making their way into these illicit branches.
The same questions apply to the other brands shown off in the video which include Dior, Chanel, Adidas and SK-II.
If the products on sale are genuine, it flouts UN sanctions in place since 2006 which bans the sale of luxury goods to North Korea.
This would not be the first time Kim has been caught ignoring the restrictions.
9
9
9
In 2019, his country spectacularly mocked the UN sanctions by opening a John Lewis-style shop flogging western brands like Rolex and Nike.
It’s also possible that the stores don’t exist or operate at all, and that this was all a front for the propaganda campaign.
Niklas Swanström, a Swedish political scientist specialising in North Korea, said this mall tour is a classic example of DPRK propaganda.
He said: “Nothing happens in North Korea without the involvement of the state.
“Since this is published on TikTok, it means that the North Koreans who have access to Tiktok – and can release films – do so with the approval of the state.
“It’s not that the common man has access to Tiktok.
“That is absolutely not the case.”
9
9
This video says it is exhibiting the Ryugyong plaza shopping mall, central Pyongyang, which opened in 2023.
It was posted by the DPRK Times account which claims to “seek the truth and help people understand Korea”.
Shiny videos portraying life in North Korea as ordinary and pleasant have become an increasingly common sight on social media.
Most of the comments under these posts accuse the videos of being “North Korean propaganda”, met with only occasional efforts from the channels to argue otherwise.
9
