About the Author
Min Chao Choy
Min Chao Choy is a data journalist for NK News and NK Pro, currently based in Los Angeles.
Since the 2002 debut of the Taedonggang Beer Factory, North Korean beer has been a source of national pride -- from the ubiquitous brew itself to the drafts available at Pyongyang’s high-quality microbreweries.
Romantic marketing often highlights the beer’s wholly domestic production. Taedonggang, for instance, uses “water of the River Taedong, barley of South Hwanghae Province and hops of Ryanggang Province,” or so state media claims.