15.01.2025 15:50
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has opened a fake IKEA store in a luxury shopping mall in Pyongyang. The store uses IKEA's name and logo without the need for any modifications. The shopping mall, named Ryumgyong Plaza, which opened in 2023, also features imitation stores of Chanel and Adidas.
The latest move by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is the opening of a fake IKEA store in the "luxurious" shopping mall in the capital, Pyongyang. Moreover, he used the name and logo of the Swedish furniture giant IKEA without even needing to change them.
The fake store, whose images were shared through the regime's propaganda videos, draws attention as a very poor imitation of the real IKEA. Instead of the neatly arranged display areas found in original IKEA stores, the furniture is haphazardly placed like in a warehouse.
In the Ryumgyong Plaza shopping mall, which opened in 2023, there are also imitation stores of world-famous brands Chanel and Adidas, in addition to the fake IKEA. Swedish IKEA officials stated, "We have no authorized IKEA store in North Korea."
Experts indicate that this initiative is one of the classic propaganda tactics of Kim Jong-un's regime. According to Swedish political scientist Niklas Swanström, "Nothing is done in North Korea without the state's permission. These images are not shared by ordinary citizens, but under the control of the state."
The Kim Jong-un administration had previously made similar attempts. In 2019, it opened a fake shopping mall selling Western brands, challenging United Nations sanctions. That same year, it was revealed that they produced fake beards, wigs, and cosmetic products labeled "Made in China."
Although the shopping mall appears new and filled with products in the images, a striking detail is the almost complete absence of customers. Experts believe that these stores may not actually be operational and that all of this is merely a propaganda show.