Kim Jong Un’s Secret Shopping Spree: Adidas, Chanel, and Even Ballantine’s Whisky Found in Pyongyang Department Store

Multiple high-end foreign brands were recently uncovered at the Daesong Department Store in Pyongyang. This has heightened worries over possible breaches of export restrictions imposed on North Korea by international sanctions. Concerns began on December 17 when a Chinese student studying in North Korea disclosed the sale of high-end foreign products at the Pyongyang Daesong Department Store.

According to social media photos uploaded by Chinese students, the interior of the Daesong Department Store—a major department store in North Korea—featured a section labeled Sports Equipment and Clothing. This section displayed products from well-known brands such as Adidas and Nike, while the cosmetics section featured items from Chanel and SK-II.

In another post by a different student, the food section included bottles of Ballantine’s 12-year and 17-year whiskies. A tobacco section showcased Japanese cigarettes, such as Seven Stars, stacked in one corner.

The Daesong Department Store in Pyongyang, where these foreign products were displayed, is a key channel for selling luxury goods in North Korea. It is reportedly managed by Office 39 of the Workers’ Party of Korea, responsible for funds supporting Kim Jong Un’s regime. This suggests that, despite international sanctions, Kim and other high-ranking North Korean officials continue to procure luxury goods easily.

Insiders report that these officials acquire goods through illicit channels, including double trading and diplomatic connections. In a previous incident that shocked the international community, Kim was seen riding in a Maybach S600 in public.

In August, Kim visited flood-stricken areas in Uiju, North Pyongan Province, driving a Mercedes-Benz luxury SUV released only four months prior. The Italian company that sold the vehicle explained that it believed it was being sold to Hong Kong.

Kim’s daughter, Kim Ju Ae, has also been seen wearing luxury French brand clothing at official events, further raising concerns about loopholes in UN sanctions on North Korea. The UN Security Council initially adopted Resolution 1718 in 2006 to ban luxury goods from entering North Korea.

In 2013, Resolution 2094 expanded the list of banned items to include luxury cars, yachts, expensive watches, and jewelry. Later, it included alcoholic beverages and tobacco. In December 2017, the UN Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 2397 (UNSCR 2397), which banned the export of transportation equipment to North Korea.

However, luxury sports brands, cars, alcohol, and tobacco continue to appear in North Korea, highlighting significant flaws in the sanctions regime. Experts suggest that although active involvement by North Korean authorities in the smuggling process would constitute a violation, there are no practical regulations to sanction transactions within North Korea.

Due to opposition from China and Russia, it is unlikely that new UN sanctions resolutions will be adopted shortly. Thus, monitoring such activities is largely symbolic.

Meanwhile, Kim Jong Un, who had not been seen publicly since the declaration of martial law in South Korea, reappeared on December 17. He was reported to have visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to commemorate the 13th anniversary of his father’s death, Kim Jong Il.

This marks Kim’s first appearance at an official event following South Korea’s martial law declaration. His decision to refrain from leveraging the situation for propaganda and to limit media coverage has drawn significant attention for its unusual approach.

North Korea has not mentioned South Korea’s state of emergency and is proceeding with annual events as planned. Experts predict North Korea will maintain a stance of deliberate indifference while closely monitoring the situation, which aligns with its policy on inter-Korean relations established last year and earlier this year.