This photo, captured from the homepage of the DPRK Today on Oct. 19, 2022, shows shoppers looking at products including fake Burberry bags at the Pyongyang Department Store No. 1. in Pyongyang, North Korea. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 25 (Korea Bizwire) — It was found that a North Korean department store is openly selling counterfeits of global luxury brands.
According to a recent report by DPRK Today, a Chinese-based North Korean propaganda outlet, a variety of counterfeit foreign luxury items were showcased at a consumer goods exhibition held at the Pyongyang Department Store No. 1.
Chanel logo-printed bags were displayed at a stand installed within the department store. Also found were fake Burberry bags, perfume bottles copying Dior’s design, and shoes counterfeiting Japanese sports brand ASICS’ design.
Apparently Pyongyang shed light on the quality improvement of its consumer goods, claiming that all of the displayed items were made using its own technology and capabilities.
Another propaganda media Maeari stressed that all of the items displayed at the exhibition, including shoes, clothes and groceries, were North Korean products produced by indigenous brands.
For Pyongyang, the capability of producing consumer goods for itself has become far more important since it faces strict import restrictions due to international sanctions.
Against this backdrop, the country appears to have chosen the ‘shortcut’ of counterfeiting famous foreign designs to market some attractive items quickly.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
