North Korea Earns Money Selling Wigs and Eyelashes... Trade with China Up 25%

Last September, Chairman Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the North Korea-China summit, followed by their participation in the banquet hosted by President Xi. Photo by Yonhap News Agency via Korean Central Television

Last year, the official trade volume between North Korea and China reached approximately 2.735 billion US dollars (4.0355 trillion won), marking a 25% increase compared to the previous year.

On January 18, Kyodo News, citing Chinese customs authorities, reported, "Last year's North Korea-China trade volume recovered to the level seen before border crossings were restricted due to COVID-19 in 2020," but also noted, "It remains at about half the level compared to before the sharp decline in bilateral trade following the United Nations Security Council sanctions resolution in 2017."

China remains North Korea's largest trading partner, with wigs and false eyelashes among the country's main export items. Among China's exports to North Korea, products such as plastics and furniture have shown an upward trend.

The 2017 United Nations Security Council resolution banned exports to North Korea of industrial machinery and transportation equipment that could be used for military purposes, and also prohibited North Korea's external exports of food and electronic devices.