[imText1]North Korean high authority has issued domestic instructions to “remove all Japanese products from Pyongyang and every other city within 3 years.” A source in North Korea reported that the prohibition includes the trade and circulation of Japanese cars, bicycles, electronic goods, and groceries. The Kim Jong Il regime seeks to punish Japan for the attitude it displayed in the recent six party talks and for its decision to continue sanctions against North Korea for an additional 6 months.
As a result, reliance on Chinese and South Korean products such as refrigerated vans and trucks is increasing according to a custom house officer in the Chinese border city Dandung. There, “10 Yuan stores” offer South Korean goods whose main consumers are North Korean traders, according to the source. Hot items include plates, lunch boxes, shoes and clothes, and a South Korean electronic rice-cooker, the “Cuckoo.” The cooker is one of the most popular devices among North Korea’s elite who have spurred the import boom.
