As South Korean popular cultural content
‘Hallyu’ continues to permeate the lives of North Koreans so have corresponding interior design trends. With the growing popularity
among donjuLiterally "masters of money," donju refers to people who hav... More [newly affluent middle class], South Korean home decor materials are being
masked as Chinese in origin and imported into the country.
“There has been an increase in demand for
South Korean equipment and material for interior design in the real estate
market these days, so donjuLiterally "masters of money," donju refers to people who hav... More in the market are ordering things directly from
China,” a source from North Pyongan Province told Daily NK in a telephone
conversation. “Since importing South Korean goods is illegal, they remove the
labels and make them look like they’re Chinese products.”
This news was corroborated by additional
sources in Pyongyang and South Pyongan Province.
Of the imported materials, wallpaper takes
up the largest portion and is typically used to decorate high-end apartments
because of the superior quality and better colors. The wallpaper comes through
Sinuiju’s customs office in a shipping container from China and is then
distributed throughout Pyongyang, Sinuiju, and other large cities.
“Wallpaper from the South is very soft and
the embossed texture is really fascinating to many, so donjuLiterally "masters of money," donju refers to people who hav... More call it ‘bubble’
wallpaper,” she said. “Boosting demand is the rumor that it’s impervious to
stains and color fading even if the walls are damp, unlike Chinese and North
Korean variants.”
Unlike state-constructed homes in the past,
homes in big cities such as Pyongyang and Sinuiju now have a much closer resemblance
to the layout of South Korean units with full glass windows near the veranda,
large living rooms, no door thresholds, and similar kitchen layouts that
require sink installations.
“Typically homes in these areas are built
with materials from China, but if the homeowner places an order for South Korean
supplies, the price of the unit goes up,” the source said. “You generally see
these homeowners picking out their own South Korean supplies and having them
used for the decor inside.”
The penchant for products from below the
border goes beyond just the interior design world, spilling over into daily
goods. Urban homes showcasing ‘Cuckoo’ brand rice cookers are common, and
particularly affluent households pride themselves on having spoons and chopsticks
with unmistakable ‘Made in Korea’ labels, according to the source.
“The intercoms installed in apartments
‘gifted’ by the General (Kim Jong Un) and high-story apartment buildings break
down frequently, so they’re being swapped out with South Korean devices, and
all of these goods are coming through customs,” she noted.
Just until a few years ago, people used to
joke that a running a household would be impossible without Chinese products.
Now, the source said, the same joke still makes the rounds but references South
Korean goods instead. “Others point out that Kim Jong Un should at least try to
imitate South Korean technology and use it to develop the local economy,” she asserted.
“After all, that in itself would be a powerful countermeasure to the infiltration of Hallyu.”
