Signs of Restoring Ties: Short Videos Selling North Korean Goods Flood Chinese Social Media

According to US media reports, a large number of short videos from Chinese companies selling North Korean goods have recently flooded Chinese social media. Some of these products may come from Chinese-owned factories in North Korea, which, along with Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Pyongyang, indicates signs of a restored relationship between the two countries. However, this clearly violates comprehensive sanctions by the UN Security Council that prohibit countries from "operating joint ventures or cooperative entities" in North Korea.

The New York Times reported that on Chinese short-video platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu, many Chinese companies have recently launched a large number of videos peddling North Korean goods. One video promoting wigs stated, "Whether it's plush toys, false eyelashes, or crocheted handbags, the production volume is large, and shipping is fast. (North Korean) workers are cheap, and some have worked for 16 hours without sleep."

The report mentioned that at least 34 accounts were found on Douyin and Xiaohongshu, publishing over 400 short videos promoting products made in North Korea. Some of these accounts even claimed to have opened factories in North Korea and openly shared their contact information. When approached by The New York Times for verification, two accounts declined to comment, while the other 32 did not respond.

The New York Times also used satellite imagery and other online videos to verify the filming locations. One factory producing wigs and false eyelashes was located in the Rason Special Economic Zone in northeastern North Korea.

These videos have garnered tens of thousands of views and all emphasize North Korea's large pool of cheap, skilled labor, mentioning a "very good cost-performance ratio." Some videos also showed North Korean workers under military-style management, eating in collective dining halls, and participating in various group activities, offering a rare glimpse into life inside North Korean factories.

The report points out that this phenomenon shows signs of a restored relationship between the two neighboring countries, China and North Korea. This includes a recent significant increase in trade between the two countries, as well as Xi Jinping's visit to Pyongyang from the 8th to the 9th and his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. According to Chinese customs data, from January to April this year, trade between China and North Korea was nearly $1 billion (about NT$31.6 billion), an increase of about 23% year-on-year.

Lee Sang-yong, director of research at Daily NK, a South Korean website specializing in North Korea news, believes that Chinese entrepreneurs are returning to North Korea to operate joint ventures. With little outside attention, trade between China and North Korea has quietly returned to pre-COVID-19 levels.

The report mentioned that North Korea is not completely isolated by UN sanctions; its companies can export goods like wigs and tungsten ore, as long as they are not operated as joint ventures with foreign companies. However, if Chinese companies invest in building and operating factories in North Korea, it is a clear violation of the UN Security Council's comprehensive sanctions prohibiting countries from "operating joint ventures or cooperative entities" in North Korea.

UN sanctions explicitly prohibit countries from purchasing textiles from North Korea, including "fabrics and partially or fully finished clothing products." However, these Chinese short videos showcase many products suspected of violating the ban, including hand-woven bags and crocheted toys.

Whether these Chinese videos have actually brought orders to North Korean factories is currently uncertain, but many North Korean factories themselves do not have a well-developed domestic supply chain. Lee Ji-seon, a researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy in Seoul, stated that North Korea heavily relies on importing raw materials and intermediate products from China, then uses its relatively abundant labor to manufacture finished products for export.

The report indicates that, based on available data, the manufacturing plants for these North Korean goods are concentrated in Rason in northeastern North Korea. The area borders China and Russia and was designated a special economic zone by North Korea in 1991 to attract foreign, especially Chinese, capital. The remote location of the Rason SEZ allows it to attract foreign investment while blocking foreign cultural influence, aligning with North Korea's self-proclaimed "hanging a mosquito net" strategy for attracting investment.

According to South Korean officials and analysts, to prevent the spread of outside information, the North Korean government prefers Han Chinese investors over ethnic Korean-Chinese investors who can communicate directly with the local North Korean population.