Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that a North Korean product exhibition held in Vladivostok, Russia, is selling numerous items including works from the Mansudae Art Studio, that fall under UN sanctions against North Korea.
The event was hosted by the North Korean International Trade Promotion Committee on the 26th. In detail, dozens of Mansudae Art Studio works were on display at the North Korean product exhibition held at the Vladivostok Dynamo Stadium, including tiger paintings and paintings of landscapes. However, merchandising is prohibited as the Mansudae Art Studio is under UN sanctions. The UN Security Council has placed the studio on its sanction list since 2017 under Resolution 2371, suspecting that the foreign currency earned by the studio could be used for North Korea’s nuclear and missile funds.
Yanbian Public Broadcasting directly reported on the exhibition site delivering that North Korean products such as cosmetics, fruits, clothing, musical instruments, perfumes, and snacks were on display and being sold at the site.
Notably, wigs, one of North Korea’s major export items, were reportedly being sold for $45. North Korean food, agricultural and marine products, and textiles, which are prohibited from trading under UN Resolutions 2397 and 2375, were also on sale. Ashley A. C. Hess, a former expert of the UN Security Council’s North Korea Sanctions Committee, shared her thoughts regarding the exhibition, “There is a possibility of contravening the sanctions against North Korea.” She added, “If the Mansudae Art Studio directly sold the paintings, it could be a transgression, and if other items subject to sanctions were sold, the possibility of violation is high.”
Amid strengthened exchanges and cooperation between North Korea and Russia, North Korea held its first product exhibition in Yanbian. Over 60 companies participated, and the exhibition will continue until the 30th.