Photos Inside Daesung Department Store Revealed on SNS by Chinese North Korean Students
Chanel, Nike, Adidas Confirmed Present
Valentine, Seven Star... Alcohol and Tobacco Also Stocked
Photos of the interior of Daesong Department Store located in Pyongyang, North Korea, have been revealed. Despite various sanctions restricting exports to North Korea, it has been confirmed that many overseas luxury brands such as Chanel and Nike are present in the store. This has led to criticism that the sanctions on North Korea have been completely breached.
Chinese university students studying in North Korea recently posted photos on social networking services (SNS) showing their visit to the famous North Korean department store, 'Daesong Department Store.' Pyongyang's Daesong Department Store is known as a major outlet for luxury goods and is reportedly managed by the North Korean Workers' Party's Office 39, which is responsible for Chairman Kim's ruling funds. It is actually possible to purchase luxury products such as Chanel and Ferragamo there.
In the released photos, the sports corner labeled 'Sports Equipment, Sportswear' is stocked with shoes and clothing from famous overseas brands like Adidas and Nike. The cosmetics corner features well-known brands such as Chanel and SK-II. In a video taken by another student at the food corner, bottles of Ballantine's 12-year and 17-year whiskey were spotted on the liquor shelves, and at the cigarette corner, stacks of Japanese cigarettes, Seven Stars, were also visible.
As these photos spread, domestic netizens showed great interest. They left comments such as, "While residents are starving, the upper class lives so luxuriously," "Is this really North Korea? I doubted my eyes," "Even I can't afford Chanel," "How many people can actually go there?" "Living in Pyongyang itself is said to be a privilege," "If residents see things like that, protests would break out immediately," "This is the reality of North Korea," and "They only care about living well themselves."
Previously, the UN Security Council has prohibited the inflow of luxury goods into North Korea starting with Resolution 1718 in 2006. Resolution 2094 in 2013 designated luxury cars, yachts, expensive watches, and jewelry as embargoed items, and the scope was later expanded to include alcoholic beverages and tobacco.
However, it is understood that high-ranking North Korean officials, including General Secretary Kim Jong-un, continue to purchase luxury goods frequently despite the sanctions. They appear to acquire items illegally through 'dual trade' or by using diplomats. According to a report released by the UN Panel of Experts on North Korea sanctions, an Italian company that sold the German 'Mercedes-Benz' Maybach S600 model, which is the exclusive car of General Secretary Kim, explained that they believed they were selling it to Hong Kong.
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