'An Ikea shop has suddenly appeared in a shopping mall in the North Korean capital Pyongyang. At least, that's what it looks like.' The Dutch Telegraaf reports.
The logo of IKEA, the Swedish interior design giant, has surfaced in a video of a shopping mall in North Korea. The footage, captured and shared by a Chinese exchange student on social media, has caused confusion. It seems that the profile that shared the video serves as a propaganda tool to present North Korea as a "modern" country and attract tourists to the communist country with its 25 million inhabitants.
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However, an IKEA spokesperson confirmed that it is not an official IKEA shop. "There are no authorised IKEA outlets in North Korea," the spokesperson explained to German newspaper Bild. Despite this, it seems that real IKEA furniture is actually being sold at the mall, presumably illegally imported to be offered to affluent customers.
Whether the shop also offers the iconic IKEA meatballs remains unclear. The IKEA spokesman said the company will take action if necessary. The Ryugyong mall, where the IKEA logo was spotted, also houses luxury brands such as Montblanc, Louis Vuitton and Gucci. These brands also suspect that their products are being sold without permission. Apart from the alleged IKEA shop, images of an Adidas shop and Chanel and Dior stores have also been seen, further exposing the issue of unauthorised sales.
Source: Telegraaf