According to Open Radio for North Korea’s sources in Yangkang Province in North Korea and a North Korean woman, who visited China, on April 16th, “even in the tensions, the Korean Wave in North Korea is spreading beyond K-pop, drama, and style, and people are seeking South Korean products for marriage gifts.”
A North Korean, Miss Park who just visited China to meet relatives, said, “When I said to my neighbors that I’m going to China to meet my relatives, they asked me to buy South Korean-made marriage gifts such as rings and necklace for them since South Korean designs are more classy. So I took a lot of money with me.”
Miss Park also said, “Someone, who requested for me to buy South Korean products for her, asked me to get South Korean bedding, which appeared in a South Korean drama, by giving me photos of that bedding and a reward.” She also added, “South Korean bedding stores in Dandong or Shenyang in China didn’t have the relevant products, so they ordered them directly from South Korea.”
A source in Yangkang Province also reported that, “Every time I visited China for meeting my relatives, not only my daughter but also friends were asking me to buy South Korean products for them.” The source also added, “I could buy South Korean bedding and home appliances in China. I also bought marriage gifts such as rings and necklaces through relatives in South Korea.”
An ORNK reporter asked the source whether North Korean people are still seeking South Korean products even during the current tensions, and the source answered, “Almost every North Korean high official has South Korean rice cookers, TVs, Samsung laptops, etc., and they stick to South Korean commodities.” The source also added, “North Korean people are sharing South Korean dramas with close friends so these are nothing.”
Also, the source reported that, “South Korean products are circulating quickly through Kaesong Industrial Region, and 80% of products, which flow into North Korea through Korean-Japanese families, are South Korean. The quality and style of South Korean products are high, so people’s preference for South Korean products is spreading despite the increased controls.”
An ORNK source reported on the irony of the criticism emanating from the regime by saying that “although the North Korean authorities are criticizing South Korea and the U.S., the equipment used by the Central Broadcasting Committee and arts projects, including North Korea’s Gippeumjo such as Eunhasu and the Moranbong electric band, are made in America. Even during the current difficult North and South relations, high officials are seeking South Korean or American products."
Source: Open Radio for North Korea
