Foreign beer and luxury goods spotted in Pyongyang despite UN sanctions

The sale of luxury goods and alcoholic beverages to North Korea violates United Nations Security Council Resolution 2356, which bans such exports. - Screengrab from Xiaohongshu via ST/ANN

SEOUL: Recent posts by Chinese social media users in Pyongyang have revealed the widespread sale of foreign and luxury goods in North Korean department stores and restaurants, raising questions about the effectiveness of United Nations sanctions.

A video uploaded to the platform Xiaohongshu on Oct 4 by a user claiming to be involved in North Korea-China trade shows aisles of foreign products at Pyongyang’s Ryugyong Golden Plaza, a shopping mall that opened in July 2023.