Kim Jong Un wants North Koreans to have more (state-sanctioned) fun
Chinese customs data show imports of massage equipment rose 40-fold and treadmill shipments jumped more than 600% as leisure sites spread nationwide.
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is aggressively expanding state-sanctioned leisure complexes containing libraries, restaurants, and movie theaters across the country, with over 1,200 state media mentions of tourism since 2022.
- Pyongyang's leisure blitz is bankrolled by revenue streams including cryptocurrency heists, coal exports, and income from deploying North Korean troops to fight for Russia in Ukraine, generating up to $14.4 billion between August 2023 and December 2025, according to South Korean researchers.
- Chinese customs data reveal surging shipments of pianos, watches, and amusement equipment, while North Korea imported more than 3 metric tons of bumper cars from China worth more than $20,000 between January 2025 and July this year.
- The state-led consumption strategy centralizes economic activity into official spaces while undermining semi-legal markets; Pyongyang passed a law in 2023 requiring every bank and store to accept electronic payments, enabling increased government scrutiny of private spending.
- Ruediger Frank, a professor of East Asian economy and society at the University of Vienna, warns the campaign boosts domestic spending temporarily. "Consumption buys time," Frank said, "It does not buy loyalty forever" among the middle class.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Waterparks, malls, cafes: North Korea sees leisure boom, but there's more to it
North Korea is expanding malls, resorts and leisure venues as Kim Jong Un pushes domestic spending. Analysts say the drive channels private wealth into state networks while tightening control over markets.
Kim Jong-un wants North Koreans to have more (state ...
SEOUL/BEIJING — Coffee bars. Waterparks. Retail therapy. North Korea — a country few would associate with leisure or pleasure — is experiencing an unlikely outbreak of fun.Leader Kim Jong-un, himself no stranger to indulgence, is orchestrating new ways for his citizens to spend their wealth. Chinese customs data tells the story: North Korea's imports of massage equipment have surged 40-fold...
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is building new resorts, shopping malls, restaurants and entertainment centers in the country to channel people's money into the state-controlled economy and reduce dependence on informal markets.
Kim Jong-un wants North Koreans to have more fun... but with state approval
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- 50% of the sources are Center, 50% of the sources lean Right
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