JTI's SevenStars is one of the most popular foreign cigarette brands in North Korea. Credit: Bject, Creative Commons
Despite the nation's rigorous pandemic border restrictions, foreign-brand cigarettes can still be bought in the capital of North Korea, according to images recently received by NK News.
One of the photos, taken this spring, showed cigarettes from the US brand Lark, the Chinese brand Septwolves White, and the Japanese brand SevenStars, sold in a Pyongyang store. Other images obtained by NK News show numerous 200-count cartons of SevenStars, one of the most popular international brands in the DPRK, being sold earlier this summer at another location.
The images, which were shot in the spring and early summer, also approximately coincide with Washington's drive at the U.N. to include tobacco on the list of sanctioned exports to North Korea.
The action was taken in response to the DPRK's barrage of missile tests earlier this year, but China and Russia blocked the new regulations.
The direct export of goods like Lark and SevenStars to the DPRK is prohibited by unilateral US and Japanese sanctions, despite the fact that tobacco products are not subject to UN measures.
According to a spokesman for Japan Tobacco International (JTI), the company that makes SevenStars, they are not aware of how their products are still being shipped to Pyongyang. “JTI does not sell any products in North Korea,” the company’s spokesperson said. “Law enforcement agencies around the world continue to seize counterfeit cigarettes, including JTI brands, which are believed to have been manufactured in North Korea. We work closely with these agencies to stop this illegal trade. However, due to security concerns, it is currently not possible to cooperate with the authorities in North Korea.” Lark maker, Philip Morris International (PMI), did not respond when requested for comment.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the DPRK's tight border restrictions considerably curtailed trade, causing several foreign-made goods' costs to rise in the middle of 2021. DPRK state-run media even issued a warning at one point that imported goods would act as a vehicle for "the devil's virus."
However, Chinese tobacco imports have occasionally surpassed those of all other product types. For instance, For example, US$9.3 million of foreign-made tobacco imports came from China, counting for 16.8% of the total import volume.