A Chinese merchant has claimed that he provided the carpets installed in new North Korean luxury hotels inspected by leader Kim Jong Un, shining a light on the DPRK’s procurement of goods from its neighbor for prestige projects.

A series of posts published by the merchant on Douyin shows carpets being produced at a Chinese factory, featuring designs that appear to match those in guest rooms at the Ikal Hotel in Samjiyon near Mount Paektu. Kim inaugurated the new facility during an opening ceremony on Dec. 20, according to DPRK state media.

In the post captions, the merchant claimshe