Editor's Pick: 'Starbucks and IKEA in Pyongyang?' A Look at the Rapidly Changing North Korean Capital

As a service robot glides between empty tables, a North Korean man, wearing a badge that appears to feature the face of Kim Jong-il, watches with curiosity.

This video was posted on social media last April by a Chinese national, who claimed it showed a shop called the Rakrang Patriotic Kumgang Hall in Pyongyang.

North Korea unveiled service robots at a light industry exhibition last October, and it is presumed that they have been deployed here on a trial basis.

Inside this shop, there are also stores that imitate foreign brands.

A coffee shop named "Mirae Reserve," which appears to mimic the logo of the premium Starbucks Reserve brand, can be seen, and a North Korean version of IKEA selling interior goods has also been spotted. A smartphone-based consumer culture is also visible.

Smartphones are equipped with ride-hailing apps, and signs are posted in various places suggesting that QR code payments are available.

Last month, Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, who visited Pyongyang, remarked that the city had achieved significant development compared to his visit eight years ago.

[Interview: Jung Eun-lee, Head of North Korean Studies at the Korea Institute for National Unification: "North Korea's economy was extremely difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic. (However, now) overall urban life seems to have improved. Looking at the results, it seems that a lot has changed since the strengthening of ties between North Korea and Russia."]

Experts suggest that the economic situation has improved due to compensation from arms exports and troop deployments to Russia, an increasing trend in trade with China, and the absence of large-scale natural disasters over the past few years.

According to estimates by the Bank of Korea last year, North Korea's real GDP in 2024 grew by 3.7% compared to the previous year, marking the largest growth in eight years.

However, as the gap between Pyongyang and rural areas remains significant, experts point out that it is difficult to view these changes as an improvement in the living standards of all North Korean residents.

Surprised by photos released on social media... A transformed Pyongyang (June 16, 2026, 8 O'Clock News)

Reported by Kim A-young | Video by Park Sun-soo | Source: X, Xiaohongshu | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.