Pyongyang (restaurant chain)
Encyclopedia
Pyongyang is a chain of restaurants in Asia operated by the North Korean government
, for whose capital (Pyongyang
) the restaurants are named. Pyongyang restaurants are found mainly in China near the North Korean border, but in the 2000s the chain has been expanding into South East Asian cities including Bangkok
, Jakarta
, Pattaya
, Phnom Penh
, Siem Reap
and Vientiane
.
dishes, Pyongyang "cold noodle
", barbecued cuttlefish
and dog meat soup. Patrons may also buy North Korean products such as ginseng
wine and an unlabelled aphrodisiac
claimed to be made from bear
s. The prices are relatively high and in US dollars.
The staff are attractive, young North Korean women in traditional Chosŏn-ot dress, who also perform karaoke
as well as song and dance routines in the style of the North Korean Mass Games
for the customers. Government propaganda
, pervasive in North Korea itself, is not overtly present in the restaurants, though photography is forbidden.
, the restaurants are one of several overseas business ventures of Room 39
, a North Korean government organization dedicated to acquiring and laundering
foreign currency for the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il
.
North Korean defectors report that the restaurants are run by local middlemen who are required to pay between US$10,000 and US$30,000 each year to the North Korean government. The North Korean staff, who live on the restaurant premises, are said to be thoroughly screened for political loyalty and to be closely watched by on-site North Korean security agents. In the 2000s, according to Daily NK
, several attempted escapes by waitresses in China led to the closure of several restaurants and the repatriation of their staffs.
Government of North Korea
The North Korean government is the executive branch of the state, according to the Constitution of North Korea. In practice, the highest decisions are made by the National Defence Commission of North Korea which is led by its Chairman Kim Jong-il....
, for whose capital (Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
) the restaurants are named. Pyongyang restaurants are found mainly in China near the North Korean border, but in the 2000s the chain has been expanding into South East Asian cities including Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Pattaya
Pattaya
Pattaya is a city in Thailand, located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about 165 km southeast of Bangkok located within but not part of Amphoe Bang Lamung in the province of Chonburi....
, Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
, Siem Reap
Siem Reap
Siem Reap is the capital city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia, and is the gateway to Angkor region.Siem Reap has colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old French Quarter, and around the Old Market...
and Vientiane
Vientiane
-Geography:Vientiane is situated on a bend of the Mekong river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point.-Climate:Vientiane features a tropical wet and dry climate with a distinct monsoon season and a dry season. Vientiane’s dry season spans from November through March. April marks the...
.
Service
The restaurants serve North Korean food, including kimchiKimchi
Kimchi , also spelled gimchi, kimchee, or kim chee, is a traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made with a main vegetable ingredient such as napa cabbage, radish, green onions or cucumber. It is the most common...
dishes, Pyongyang "cold noodle
Naengmyeon
Naengmyeon is a Korean dish of long and thin hand-made noodles made from the flour and starch of various ingredients: buckwheat , potatoes, sweet potatoes, 칡냉면, naengmyun made with the starch from arrowroot , and kudzu...
", barbecued cuttlefish
Cuttlefish
Cuttlefish are marine animals of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda . Despite their name, cuttlefish are not fish but molluscs....
and dog meat soup. Patrons may also buy North Korean products such as ginseng
Ginseng
Ginseng is any one of eleven species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, belonging to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae....
wine and an unlabelled aphrodisiac
Aphrodisiac
An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire. The name comes from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sexuality and love. Throughout history, many foods, drinks, and behaviors have had a reputation for making sex more attainable and/or pleasurable...
claimed to be made from bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
s. The prices are relatively high and in US dollars.
The staff are attractive, young North Korean women in traditional Chosŏn-ot dress, who also perform karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
as well as song and dance routines in the style of the North Korean Mass Games
Mass games
Mass games or mass gymnastics are a form of performing arts or gymnastics in which large numbers of performers take part in a highly regimented performance that emphasizes group dynamics rather than individual prowess.-Methods:...
for the customers. Government propaganda
Propaganda in North Korea
The propaganda in North Korea is extensively based on the Juche ideology to promote the Workers' Party of Korea line. From its beginning to this day the propaganda is omnipresent.-Cult of personality:...
, pervasive in North Korea itself, is not overtly present in the restaurants, though photography is forbidden.
Operation
According to Swedish journalist Bertil LintnerBertil Lintner
Bertil Lintner is a Swedish journalist based in Thailand and the author of several works on Asia, including Blood Brothers: The Criminal Underworld of Asia and Great Leader, Dear Leader: Demystifying North Korea Under The Kim Clan....
, the restaurants are one of several overseas business ventures of Room 39
Room 39
Room 39 is a secretive Democratic People's Republic of Korea government organization that seeks ways to maintain the foreign currency slush fund of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il....
, a North Korean government organization dedicated to acquiring and laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
foreign currency for the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
.
North Korean defectors report that the restaurants are run by local middlemen who are required to pay between US$10,000 and US$30,000 each year to the North Korean government. The North Korean staff, who live on the restaurant premises, are said to be thoroughly screened for political loyalty and to be closely watched by on-site North Korean security agents. In the 2000s, according to Daily NK
Daily NK
The Daily NK is an online newspaper focusing on issues relating to North Korea. The site, run by opponents of the North Korean government, is based in South Korea and regularly reports stories from inside North Korea via a network of informants inside the country.Founded in December 2004, the Daily...
, several attempted escapes by waitresses in China led to the closure of several restaurants and the repatriation of their staffs.