It was reported on the 16th that a restaurant selling Western dishes made with duck and goose, known as 'foie gras', is gaining popularity in Pyongyang, North Korea.
The North Korean overseas propaganda outlet, Uriminzokkiri, reported that 'Hwaseong Rakwon Bulgogi Restaurant' is gaining popularity in the Hwaseong district, a new urban area in Pyongyang. The restaurant, housed in a two-story building, is located in the center of the new urban section of the Hwaseong district, which was completed in April. The total floor area is approximately 4,000 square meters (about 1,200 pyeong). It offers barbecue, bulgogi, and family dining rooms. There is also space for outdoor terrace dining.
The outlet said, "They serve various types of bulgogi, including barbecue made from pork shoulder and beef tongue, as well as over 40 kinds of bulgogi, including pork belly bulgogi, salmon belly sashimi, and goose liver hamburgers, totaling more than 200 different dishes. The exterior resembles a meat grill, making it recognizable from afar as a bulgogi restaurant. Although it has not been opened for long, many people are visiting the restaurant."
North Korea is promoting luxurious dishes that ordinary residents find hard to access, such as foie gras and salmon belly, through its overseas propaganda outlet. This is interpreted as marketing aimed at foreign tourists. Tourism is an important means of earning foreign currency since it is not subject to sanctions against North Korea.
The main customers of this restaurant are wealthy citizens of Pyongyang with purchasing power and 'donju', the affluent class who earn money in the jangmadang (market). There are 10,000 households residing in the third phase of the Hwaseong district where the restaurant is located. The previously completed first and second phases also each house around 10,000 people.