Likely sanctioned North Korean firm looks to sell medicine, beer in Russia | NK News
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September 25, 2026Sep 25, 2026

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Likely sanctioned North Korean firm looks to sell medicine, beer in Russia

‘Sobaekso Joint Venture’ appears linked to military front company and has filed for trademark protection with Moscow

A sanctioned North Korean firm appears to have filed for trademark protection in Russia, records show, after previously seeking to sell aphrodisiacs and traditional medicines in the neighboring market last year.

The Sobaekso Joint Venture Company from Pyongyang applied to register its trademark in Russia late March, according to its filing with Moscow’s intellectual property watchdog Rospatent.

The firm’s name is likely an alias for the well-known sanctions offender Korea Sobaeksu United Corporation, which is also tracked as Sobaeksu Trading Company.