Beer for the masses? A North Korean beer bar has opened in the capital of Pyongyang

euronews (in English)

North Korea is advertising a brand new Western-style beer bar in its capital, but it will likely only be accessible to the city's elite and international tourists.

Transcript

00:00A landmark beer bar has opened in North Korea's capital of Pyongyang.

00:09This government-issued propaganda-style footage shows the massive Western-style establishment

00:14that was built in one of the city's new districts.

00:18Visitors can buy the country's trademark beer, Taedonggang, which comes from a brewery the

00:23government purchased from England and reassembled in North Korea in 2002.

00:41While Pyongyang advertises a rich North Korean beer culture, it remains a drink reserved

00:46for the elite.

00:48Most of North Korea's largely rural population struggles daily with poverty and food insecurity.

00:55People must exchange food vouchers in order to buy beer, and most can't afford to sacrifice

01:00the small amount they can spend on food.

01:03Only in Pyongyang, men are exclusively given special beer vouchers.

01:07In the countryside, people must rely on low-quality home brews.

01:13Because of these limitations, high-end beer houses like this one will likely only be frequented

01:18by Pyongyang's elite and a small number of international tourists.

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