North Korea’s glossy new surface: Apps, beaches and a fake Starbucks

North Korea is taking inspiration from the West. In Pyongyang, elites drink coffee at a fake Starbucks and pay by mobile phone. About 100 miles away on the east coast, a seaside resort that’s a pet project of the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, is stocked with foreign beers and decked out with water slides, ready to receive tourists.

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To blunt the impact of international sanctions and bring in cash, North Korea is creating the look of prosperity by imitating its capitalist enemies.

The New York Times obtained footage from three recent visitors to the country: a Russian tourist, a Swedish marathon runner and a Chinese student. While the foreigners had North Korean chaperones and were not allowed to film construction sites and military personnel, they provided a rare glimpse into how Mr. Kim’s modernization plans are nurturing a new culture of consumerism in one of the world’s most isolated and authoritarian countries. The goods they encountered are out of reach for most North Koreans, who earn, on average, alittle more than $1,000 a year, according to South Korea.

‘NORTH KOREAN IKEA’

A student from China who is taking language classes in Pyongyang said he initially thought the country would be backward.

“I was worried about not having enough food or warm clothes,” he said. “But when I arrived, I found it to be quite luxurious.”

The student, whose name is being withheld out of fear of reprisals from officials, said one of the city’s most upscale spots is a multistory shopping mall, Rangrang Patriotic Geumganggwan, which sells a range of furniture, kitchenware and food products. He said he and his fellow Chinese students called it “North Korean IKEA” because the layout and products looked like they had been directly lifted from the Swedish furniture company.

While it is unclear if the products are imitations or real ones that are smuggled in, some items like lamps and lampshades appear to have the same name and packaging as those sold at IKEA stores.