'Wielding "Foreign Culture" to Block... North Korea Selling "Kitty Knockoffs"'

Counterfeit Goods Boldly Sold on Joseon Trade Website
From Japan's Hello Kitty to US Disney's Bambi and More
Aimed at Earning Foreign Currency, but Actual Sales Seem Difficult

The Kim Jong-un regime has been confirmed to strongly block the influx of external culture while actually selling crude counterfeit products that imitate overseas brand trademarks. It is presumed to be aimed more at earning foreign currency than domestic consumption, but sales volume is expected to be very low due to mostly violating sanctions against North Korea.

Products sold on the trade website of North Korea's Joseon. The trademarks and characters of foreign brands are crudely copied.

On the 29th, the website 'Chosun Trade' shows that children's clothing featuring the 'Hello Kitty' character from the Japanese company Sanrio is being sold under the light industry category. Chosun Trade is North Korea's official trade and investment exclusive site. Looking at the children's sweater products said to be produced at the Sunkyopyonjik Factory, information is also provided that they contain 60% anilon (the North Korean term for acrylic fiber) and 40% wool.

Bags featuring deer and rabbit characters from Disney's full-length animation 'Bambi' were also being sold, and there was a product with a missile presumed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) printed on a children's school bag. Bags that directly copied trademarks of overseas luxury brands such as Christian Dior were also introduced.

The site is selling 1,813 products including clothing, food, and cosmetics, but sales volume is expected to be low. Many of them correspond to violations of sanctions against North Korea. Textile products, which are considered major export items of North Korea, cannot be sold according to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2375 on North Korea.

Products sold on the trade website of North Korea's Joseon. The trademarks and characters of foreign brands are crudely copied.

This behavior is contradictory to the fact that Chairman Kim Jong-un introduced the 'Law on the Rejection of Reactionary Ideological Culture,' which punishes the distribution of South Korean video materials with the death penalty at maximum, thereby blocking external culture. Especially considering that the North Korean leadership has consistently fostered hostility toward the U.S. and frequently expressed anti-Japanese sentiment, using American Disney characters or Japan's Hello Kitty is close to a serious crime.

However, it is highly likely that North Korean residents do not know that these characters are foreign trademarks. Institutionally, the concept of 'trademark infringement' is also likely nonexistent. For example, in June last year, the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted an anecdote about the 'Pyongyang Sock Factory,' where Chairman Kim openly showed affection for 'Hello Kitty.' At that time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "(Kim Jong-un) saw the Kitty socks with a cute cat drawn on the ankle displayed in the product sample room and said, 'It's pretty.'" It also explained, "He asked if there were Pooh (bear) socks and said with joy, 'Children would like to wear children's socks like these samples.'"

Products sold on the trade website of North Korea's Joseon. The trademarks and characters of foreign brands are crudely copied.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that North Korea has started cracking down on 'impure recorded materials' not only from South Korean songs, movies, and dramas but now also from China. The U.S. Radio Free Asia (RFA) cited a source from South Hamgyong Province on the same day, saying, "A list of impure recorded materials was issued, including Indian and Russian videos along with dozens of Chinese television dramas and movies," and added, "This is the first time a ban list on Chinese recorded materials has appeared."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.