March 28, 2024
Analysis

No can do: How tinned coffee exposes the myth of targeted North Korea sanctions

North Korean’s thirst for coffee shows the increasingly blunt nature of DPRK sanctions regime

If you visited North Korea in the past decade or two and were feeling in need for a wake-up, you might recall buying slim-style canned coffee drinks by the famous Japanese brand Pokka.

Sold at hotel shops, highway stops, and even kiosks in far-flung corners of the country, the ongoing availability of Pokka drinks represents a rare case of a foreign consumer brand attaining nationwide popularity in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

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