The following article is the second in a multipart series by Taylor Darby, a pseudonym for a foreign diplomat that worked in Pyongyang for an extended period of time before being forced to leave in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Views expressed in columns are exclusively the author’s own and do not represent those of NK News.

Pyongyang has a number of shops open to the city’s expatriate city, and foreigners emboldened to step out of the confines of the diplomatic compounds can enjoy a range of new retail experiences.

These shops range from the famous Tongil Market to department stores selling toys beneath Kim Il Sung square. Most of these accept foreign currencies, with a handful even allowing foreigners to pay in North Korean won (KPW). 

In some cases, these retail outlets exist primarily to create the appearance of prosperity in a shallow propaganda act, but it’s also true that a number of them offer useful products at acceptable prices.

Amid numerous restrictions and irregular imports, finding a shop that sells something one was unable to find just a month or two earlier is one of the great joys of exploring the city.

GROCERY SHOPPING

One of the first places most foreigners learn about and start visiting on a regular basis is the Tongil Market. It is often the only place one can regularly visit to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. 

The market itself is nothing too fancy, just a pretty big warehouse with lines of stalls stretching from one end to the other. Vendors sell fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, clothes and a diverse range of household goods, all coming mostly from China and of dubious quality.

Notably, Tongil Market is one of the few places where foreigners can pay in KPW. Thus, in order to buy anything there, shoppers must get their hands on North Korean currency.

In the past, foreigners would show up and seek out a dubious-looking character with a duffel bag outside the market to buy KPW. Nowadays, there is a change point inside that at least gives the impression of a semi-official forex bureau.

The market is open for only two hours most days of the week, and it can get busy quickly. While one would expect one salesperson per stall, in practice as many as five women selling goods cram into each stall. 

Each of these vendors will be responsible for selling one or two items on display: One will be selling tomatoes, the other potatoes. It can be a surreal experience the first few times you visit.

THE PRICE IS RIGHT?

Department stores provide another interesting place where foreigners can spend KPW, most notably at the underground department store and Department Store No. 1. 

The underground store is located in a surprising place — beneath Kim Il Sung Square, where North Korea proudly displays its latest weapons and goose-stepping soldiers in parades. In most countries, such a prominent underground location at the city center would likely be a car park.

Department Store No. 1 sells DPRK-made household goods and some foods. Buying products can be a bit complicated as not all items are available to foreigners, but the store can be a good place to find a domestically produced razor or local toys.

As a model shopping location in downtown Pyongyang, Department Store No. 1 displays products ranging from clothes and fabrics to household items and musical instruments. My favorite products to browse are the large assortment of stuffed birds.

Another similar location with a larger proportion of imported goods for sale is the Kwangbok Street Department Store, which underwent major renovations in recent years and now has a food court on the top floor.

Access to shops that accept KPW is quite limited, but diplomats and other expatriates can visit a number of shops that operate using foreign currencies, assuming one can find them and they sell things that one actually wants or needs.

The glitziest such shop in Pyongyang at the moment is the Daesong Department Store. It was somewhat rundown and akin to Department Stores No. 1 until authorities fully renovated it a few years ago.

The store has five stories in total, including a supermarket and a busy food court. The other floors have various luxurious items like watches, computers and fancy but obscure clothing brands from China. 

Prices are so outrageously high — at least compared to Western prices — that it is very rare to actually see people buying things. While some do shop there, most actively at the supermarket, it is definitely not at the level required to be an economically viable location.

PROPAGANDA OVER PROFIT

It’s important to note that a lot of shops in Pyongyang exist to showcase the country’s supposed wealth rather than generate a profit.

This becomes clear if one tries to purchase the last of an item on display, which the salesperson will often refuse to allow. The reason is quite simple: It creates emptiness on the shelves, which goes against the idea that model shops should show off an abundance of goods.

Of course, this is not hard to achieve, since the majority of items are prohibitively expensive for the average Korean and only a limited segment of the population has access to foreign cash.

A lot of shops have a limited selection of products in the best of times, but they do their best to spread out the items on the shelves to create the illusion of plentitude.