March 28, 2024
Evergreen

From hairy crabs to shrimp: Yanbian’s thriving trade in North Korean seafood

Traders say demand remains high, even if DPRK-sourced produce doesn't come as cheap as it once did

This is the second of two articles exploring the North Korean goods available for sale in Yanbian. You can read part one here.

In his store in a quiet side street a short distance from Hunchun’s main commercial district, Mr. Kou leans on one of his large freezers in a leisurely manner, his shirt rolled up to his chest in a traditional northern Chinese practice for keeping cool in the summer. It is morning, a quiet time of day for traders of North Korean seafood, and so he has time to chat.

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