A screenshot of a North Korean advertisement for clothing and shoes aired on Russian TV.
Analysts have pointed out that a recent advertisement for North Korean clothing on Russian state TV blatantly violates sanctions against North Korea.
NK News reported that Russian state TV Channel 1 aired an advertisement featuring orthopedic shoes, coats, and jackets from North Korea last Friday, with the tagline, “Amazing! For the first time, high-quality North Korean clothing and shoes are available in Russia.”
The ad also included a phone number for inquiries about North Korean clothing, listed under the Russian company Evgeny Skibin, which is handling the sale.
Katsuhisa Furukawa, a former member of the UN Security Council’s expert panel, told NK News, “UN Security Council Resolutions 2397 and 2375 both explicitly prohibit the export of textiles and complete clothing from North Korea to other countries.”
He added that the breach involves the North Korean and Russian companies involved in the export and the Russian broadcaster. Furukawa stated, “By promoting products banned by the UN on TV, the broadcaster has facilitated a sanctions violation. This could be the first instance of a media outlet violating UN sanctions.”
Furukawa also noted that at least one of the advertised products appears identical to coats produced by the Belarusian company Algranda. He called for an investigation, suggesting that the product might have been manufactured in North Korea or that North Korean workers could have been sent to Algranda.
Chris Mundy, a researcher at Dongseo University, remarked that the advertisement represents a “significant shift for North Korea” and predicted there would be demand among “patriotic right-wing Russians who support anti-Western ideologies.”
The appearance of North Korean clothing on Russian TV follows a North Korean trade fair in Vladivostok at the end of June. Additionally, it is reported that Belarus’s Foreign Minister, a Russian ally, visited Pyongyang in late July to discuss North Korean food exports and the import of cosmetics.