An exhibition of North Korean products was held in Vladivostok on July 26, just one week after a summit between the leaders of the two countries.
The Joseon (Korea) Products Exhibition was organized by the North Korean Committee for the Promotion of International Trade to demonstrate North Korea’s economic progress. The exhibition featured food, clothing, nutritional supplements, handicrafts, and musical instruments produced by some 70 North Korean companies.
I was able to obtain some photographs of the exhibition taken by people who attended the fair. Contrary to reports in some international news outlets that the exhibition was a success and drew large crowds, the exhibition seen in the photographs was almost entirely empty.
Even more shocking were the products exhibited by North Korean companies. Snacks and even sugar were on display for sale, raising doubts about whether the event was really a product exhibition.
The products in each display case more closely resembled those that would be rationed to the North Korean public. The range of products included household items such as soap, toothpaste, and dishwashing detergent, as well as food items such as dried seaweed and sand lance, underscoring the decrepit state of the North Korean economy.
The first measure of economic cooperation following a summit between the leaders of North Korea and Russia ended up being an exhibition of everyday goods, showing just how dependent North Korea is on other countries.
Products sanctioned by the international community on display
Another notable part of the exhibition was the open display and sale of products under sanctions by the international community. U.N. sanctions resolutions 2397 and 2375 prohibit trade in North Korean food and agricultural products and the export of North Korean textiles.
Significantly, the exhibition featured artwork produced by the Mansudae Art Studio. The U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions on the studio in Resolution 2371, adopted in August 2017, on the grounds that foreign currency earned by the studio could be used to develop nuclear weapons.
A close examination of the racks of paintings for sale reveals the name of North Korean painter Oh Ryong Song. A 1985 graduate of Pyongyang University of Fine Arts, Oh is considered one of North Korea’s greatest living painters and has been honored by the government. He is also a member of the Mansudae Art Studio.
The Mansudae Art Studio’s presence at the exhibition was about more than selling a few paintings. The studio has earned foreign exchange by installing statues and other large works of art in other countries, and it hopes to receive more orders for this type of work. This is evident from the stacks of brochures in each display case, complete with e-mail addresses and phone numbers.
The Korea Paekho Trading Corporation was also promoting its business at the show. This company, which is under the North Korean Ministry of Defense, was sanctioned by the European Union in April 2022 and by the South Korean government in 2023.
After his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Russian President Vladimir Putin said it was time to reconsider the open-ended sanctions on North Korea that the United States and its allies have been pushing at the U.N. Security Council.
North Korea sends workers overseas to raise funds through a program it calls “loyalty-based foreign currency earnings.” Because of North Korean sanctions, these workers now remain in only a handful of countries, including China and Russia. After the Kim-Putin summit, one can imagine North Korea sending more workers to Russia, ignoring the sanctions against it.
This is a particularly troubling prospect because it could undermine the effectiveness of sanctions against North Korea amid continuing reports that North Korean workers overseas face serious human rights abuses.
The shabby state of the North Korean economy on display at this product show points to the impoverished lives of ordinary North Koreans. Therefore, the North Korean regime should be condemned for its continued missile launches and other military provocations.
I once again call on North Korea to denuclearize, reform and open up to the outside world. That’s the only way it will survive.
Views expressed in this guest column do not necessarily reflect those of Daily NK. Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
