The Korea Times close
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Entertainment
& Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
Sports
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
Video
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
North Korea
Wed, June 29, 2022 | 15:38
N. Korea smuggles tobacco products
Posted : 2018-08-19 16:43
Updated : 2018-08-19 17:56
Print Preview
Font Size Up
Font Size Down
By Yi Whan-woo

North Korea is raising cash by smuggling tobacco products, including counterfeit cigarettes, according to sources familiar with Pyongyang.


They said the impoverished Kim Jong-un regime even raised the export price for a carton of cigarettes by 10 percent.

"The smugglers used to sell a carton of cigarettes to China for 50 yuan ($7.20), but now it a carton is sold for 55 yuan," a source told Radio Free Asia (RFA) last week.

The smuggling comes amid U.N. Security Council sanctions on North Korea to prevent the flow of cash to the regime being used to develop nuclear weapons.

Another source said North Korean cigarettes had been popular in China because they were inexpensive and of reasonable quality compared to Chinese cigarettes.

"There are even Chinese, especially those farmers in the border region, who insist on smoking only North Korean cigarettes," the source said.

According to RFA, some North Korean cigarettes are intended for domestic consumption, but most are falsely labeled with fake foreign brands and smuggled to Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asian countries where they are sold for far more than they cost to produce.

Some tobacco companies even produce counterfeit tobacco products bearing famous foreign brand names like Marlboro and Dunhill and export them to Southeast Asia and Africa.

Emailyistory@ktimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
LG
LG
  • McDonald's, Burger King, KFC face bleak prospects of selling Korean units
  • Missing family's car discovered underwater in Wando
  • Afghanistan earthquake killed more than 1,000 [PHOTOS]
  • Finance chief calls for corporate restraint on 'excessive' wage increases amid inflation woes
  • Korea on track to cut dependency on China for rare earths
  • NongHyup Bank expands Dokdo-themed metaverse platform
  • Young chief drastically transforms LG over 4 years
  • Yoon arrives in Spain for NATO summit
  • 3 out of 10 adults still live with parents: report
  • Salesforce to launch cloud-based Hyperforce service in Korea
  • Son Ye-jin, Hyun Bin expecting their first baby Son Ye-jin, Hyun Bin expecting their first baby
  • 'Money Heist: Korea' director says he expected mixed reviews 'Money Heist: Korea' director says he expected mixed reviews
  • BTS member V visits Paris after K-pop boyband suspends group activities BTS member V visits Paris after K-pop boyband suspends group activities
  • Lee Jung-eun to join season 2 of mystery series 'Missing' Lee Jung-eun to join season 2 of mystery series 'Missing'
  • Musical 'Sandglass' is love letter to original TV drama Musical 'Sandglass' is love letter to original TV drama
DARKROOM
  • Afghanistan earthquake killed more than 1,000 [PHOTOS]

    Afghanistan earthquake killed more than 1,000 [PHOTOS]

  • Divided America reacts to overturn of Roe vs. Wade

    Divided America reacts to overturn of Roe vs. Wade

  • Namaste: Yogis to celebrate International Yoga Day

    Namaste: Yogis to celebrate International Yoga Day

  • Poor hit harder by economic crisis

    Poor hit harder by economic crisis

  • Roland Garros 2022

    Roland Garros 2022

The Korea Times
CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Location
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Service
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • Mobile Service
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • 고충처리인
  • Youth Protection Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group