NK opens first online shopping mall
North Korea launched its first online shopping mall, called Okryu, on Apr. 1./ YonhapBy Lee Min-hyungNorth Korea has launched its first online shopping mall, the regime’s state-controlled media reported Tuesday.The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the North opened the shopping mall, called Okryu, last Wednesday, offering various items including food, medicine, bags, cosmetics and daily necessities.North Korean citizens can order products with their smart phones or computers, with “high quality but cheap” domestic items then delivered straight to their homes, according to the KNCA.Experts say the online mall reflects the recent market changes in the regime.“The North appears to have launched the online mall to encourage consumer spending,” said Tak Sung-han, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses. “These days, the regime is trying to secure more capital. The online mall is a good example of the ever changing market in the North.”As the North is such an isolated country, it has taken a long time to launch the online
Apr 7, 2015