Chinese Firms turn to North Korean manufacturing
Chinese businesses are increasingly promoting products manufactured in North Korea on social media, offering potential customers access to low-cost labor and rapid production times, according to a report by The New York Times. The posts, published on platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu, advertise goods including wigs, false eyelashes, crocheted toys and bags, often highlighting North Korea’s large workforce and competitive labor costs.
34 social media accounts and more than 400 post
The New York Times reviewed 34 social media accounts and more than 400 posts that promoted goods produced in North Korean factories. Some Chinese entrepreneurs openly claimed to operate factories in North Korea and shared contact information online. Such activities could conflict with United Nations sanctions that prohibit foreign countries from operating joint ventures or cooperative entities in North Korea.
Rare glimpse into factory operations in North Korea
The posts provide a rare glimpse into factory operations in North Korea, particularly in the northeastern city of Rason, a special economic zone established to attract foreign investment. Satellite imagery and online videos reviewed by the newspaper identified several production facilities in the area, including factories manufacturing wigs and false eyelashes.
Strengthening economic ties between China and North Korea
The renewed online marketing activity coincides with strengthening economic ties between China and North Korea. According to Chinese customs data cited in the report, bilateral trade reached nearly $1 billion in the first four months of 2026, an increase of about 23% compared with the same period a year earlier.
North Korea’s reliance on imported raw materials from China
The report also highlights North Korea’s reliance on imported raw materials from China, which are processed into finished products for export. Social media videos showed workers producing goods by hand, packaging products for shipment and participating in collective activities under tightly controlled working conditions. Factory walls displayed government slogans promoting loyalty to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Analysts cited by the newspaper said Chinese entrepreneurs have increasingly returned to North Korea in recent years as trade between the two countries has recovered to pre-pandemic levels. At the same time, North Korean authorities continue to limit outside influence by closely controlling interactions between foreign investors and the local population.