‘Pyonghattan’: where the rich kids of North Korea sip cappuccinos and flaunt their Western brand clothes
Leader Kim Jong-un, who is only 33, has made it a high priority to improve the lives of his fellow millennials in particular.
They like fast fashion from Zara and H&M. They work out to be seen as much as to exercise. They drink cappuccinos to show how cosmopolitan they are. Some have had their eyelids done to make them look more western.
North Korea now has a one per cent. And you’ll find them in“Pyonghattan”, the parallel universe inhabited by the rich kids of the Democratic People’s Republic.
“We’re supposed to dress conservatively in North Korea, so people like going to the gym so they can show off their bodies, show some skin,” said Lee Seo-hyeon, a 24-year-old who was, until 18 months ago, part of Pyongyang’s brat pack.
Women like to wear leggings and tight tops – Elle is the most popular brand among women, while men prefer Adidas and Nike – she said. When young people to go China, they go armed with shopping lists for workout gear from their friends.
At a leisure complex next to the bowling alley in the middle of Pyongyang, they run on the treadmills, which show Disney cartoons on the monitors, or do yoga.
The complex also has a fancy restaurant that advertises for wedding functions – glitzy venues cost as much as US$500 an hour – and a coffee shop, where most drinks are priced between US$4 and US$8, although an iced mocha costs US$9.
