North Korea’s Kyonghung Toy Factory is producing Sesame Street merchandise for the international market, NK NEWS can exclusively reveal.

The toy manufacturer’s Sesame Street line was found among a series of otherwise non-branded children’s products in a full-page advert in the latest edition of North Korea’s quarterly Foreign Trade magazine.

Alongside a range of generic stuffed animals, a close inspection of the pictures reveals Sesame Street characters including Elmo, Cookie Monster and Big Bird. A comparison of images reveals striking similarities between one official line of products and the North Korean range.

PBS Television and producers Sesame Street Workshop both refused to offer