'IKEA' Finally Opens In North Korea—But There's A Catch

North Korea has opened a brazen imitation of an IKEA store within a lavish shopping mall, defying international sanctions and exploiting Western brands for propaganda.

Kim Jong-un has unveiled an unabashed Ikea knock-off within an opulent North Korean shopping mall in a brazen display of disregard for intellectual property. The dictator did not attempt to disguise the counterfeit store, brazenly appropriating the Swedish retail giant's name and logo.

IKEA In Pyongyang: A Bold Move Or A Bold-Faced Lie?

Within the store, tables and chairs are haphazardly crammed together, resembling a chaotic storage warehouse rather than the signature, meticulously designed walk-through showrooms characteristic of Ikea.

A chaotic jumble of lamps, desks, and shelves haphazardly fill the floor, a poor attempt to replicate the signature flat-pack phenomenon's showroom experience. This counterfeit outlet was recently spotted in a new video showcasing Ryumgyong Plaza Mall, Pyongyang's risible endeavour to emulate a grand shopping centre.

The footage, disseminated by the regime's propaganda apparatus, also showcases other stores brazenly claiming affiliation with prestigious Western brands like Ikea, Chanel, and Adidas.

The Mystery Of The 'IKEA' Store In North Korea

Ikea told Swedish newspaper Expressen: 'There are no authorised Ikea retailers in North Korea.' The company stated that 'violations of intellectual property rights are continuously monitored with "appropriate action taken.'

Whether the store sells genuine IKEA products or the wares are counterfeit imitations remains uncertain. This video, released by the state-run DPRK Times, aims to showcase the Ryugyong Plaza shopping mall in central Pyongyang, which reportedly opened its doors in 2023.

The mall gleams, pristine and overflowing with merchandise, yet an eerie emptiness pervades. This wouldn't be the first instance of Kim flagrantly disregarding restrictions. In blatant defiance of UN sanctions, the nation staged a spectacular display of disregard in 2019 by inaugurating a John Lewis-style department store brimming with Western brands.

A Symbol Of North Korea's Defiance And Deception

These sanctions, imposed in 2006, explicitly prohibit the sale of Western goods within the communist nation, rendering these stores entirely illegal. The United Nations imposed sanctions in 2006, explicitly prohibiting the sale of Western goods to the communist nation. This rendered the existence of such stores illegal.

IKEA, a global furniture giant with a presence in 63 countries worldwide, boasts 480 stores worldwide. North Korea, however, is conspicuously absent from this list. Given China's status as North Korea's primary trading partner, it's plausible that goods originally destined for the Chinese market have been diverted into North Korea through illicit channels.

Made In China, Sold In Pyongyang

However, China is notorious for its prolific production of high-quality counterfeit goods, raising the possibility that the items found in these stores may be sophisticated replicas of authentic Western brands.

Alternatively, the existence and operation of these stores may be entirely fabricated, serving as mere props in the regime's elaborate propaganda campaign. According to a report by The Sun, Niklas Swanström, a Swedish political scientist specialising in North Korea, has described this mall tour as a classic example of DPRK propaganda.

'Nothing happens in North Korea without the involvement of the state,' Swanstrom said. '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,' he added. A majority of comments below these videos denounce them as 'North Korean propaganda,' with the channels offering only sporadic attempts at rebuttal.

It is also worth noting that Kim has a reputation for dodging sanctions by facilitating the production of knock-off goods. In 2019, he was discovered to be mass-producing thousands of tonnes of counterfeit beards, wigs, and other cosmetic items, falsely labelling them 'Made in China' to circumvent export sanctions.