A mystery in black and white: The curious case of North Korea’s missing pandas



Features A mystery in black and white: The curious case of North Korea’s missing pandas China has gifted more pandas to the DPRK than any other country, but the animal ambassadors haven’t been seen for years Yeji Chung August 11, 2023 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON A giant panda eating bamboo in Dec. 2008 \| Image: Wikimedia Commons For decades, China has used giant pandas as a tool of diplomacy, sending the furry ambassadors that double as a national symbol to friend and foe alike in a bid to foster cultural ties and soften Beijing’s image abroad. But while China has gifted or leased the bamboo-eating bears to countries as disparate as the U.S., U.K., Japan and South Korea, and even to its cross-strait rival Taiwan, one country has been the recipient of more pandas than any other — North Korea. For decades, China has used giant pandas as a tool of diplomacy, sending the furry ambassadors that double as a national symbol to friend and foe alike in a bid to foster cultural ties and soften Beijing’s image abroad. But while China has gifted or leased the bamboo-eating bears to countries as disparate as the U.S., U.K., Japan and South Korea, and even to its cross-strait rival Taiwan, one country has been the recipient of more pandas than any other — North Korea. Try unlimited access Only $1 for four weeks Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

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A mystery in black and white: The curious case of North Korea’s missing pandas

China has gifted more pandas to the DPRK than any other country, but the animal ambassadors haven’t been seen for years

Yeji Chung August 11, 2023

A mystery in black and white: The curious case of North Korea’s missing pandas

A giant panda eating bamboo in Dec. 2008 | Image: Wikimedia Commons

For decades, China has used giant pandas as a tool of diplomacy, sending the furry ambassadors that double as a national symbol to friend and foe alike in a bid to foster cultural ties and soften Beijing’s image abroad.

But while China has gifted or leased the bamboo-eating bears to countries as disparate as the U.S., U.K., Japan and South Korea, and even to its cross-strait rival Taiwan, one country has been the recipient of more pandas than any other — North Korea.

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A mystery in black and white: The curious case of North Korea’s missing pandas

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