North Korea's unique export strategy

North Korea operates a network of businesses overseas to earn foreign currency. From restaurant chains to giant monument projects, North Korea’s revenue streams span the globe from Europe to Asia.

Restaurant

North Korean artists serve diners at a restaurant in Beijing, China. Photo: AP

The notoriously closed nation of North Korea has restaurants in some 20 countries. First in China, it has expanded to Cambodia and across Southeast Asia, even as far away as the United Arab Emirates and Nepal.

Each restaurant brings in about $100,000 to $300,000 a year for North Korea. Here, female staff will serve Korean specialties as well as dance and sing in traditional costumes.

Monuments in Africa

The Mansudae Grand Monument in Pyongyang. Photo: REUTERS

Famous for its Soviet-style heroic statues, Pyongyang's Mansudae Art Studio has been doing very well abroad.

The factory was founded in 1959 with the aim of producing artworks honoring North Korean leaders and has nearly 4,000 workers.

The Mansudae Grand Monument, which houses two 21-meter-tall bronze statues of late North Korean leader Kim Il-sung and his son Kim Jong-il, is one of the famous works of the Mansudae workshop. These two men are the grandfather and father of leader Kim Jong-un.

Mansudae is particularly famous in Africa. Large-scale monuments built by Mansudae are located in Namibia, Benin, Zimbabwe, the Republic of Congo, Botswana and many other places.

The most famous of these is the “African Renaissance” monument in Senegal. The 49-meter-high statue – taller than the Statue of Liberty in the US – was completed in 2010 with an official budget of about 25 million USD. However, some experts estimate that the statue cost up to 70 million USD.

The common points of the statues produced by Mansudae: Big, simple and affordable.

Museum

One of the 3D paintings at the Angkor Panorama Museum. Photo: Cambodia Heritage

The Angkor Panorama Museum in Cambodia is one of Mansudae Studio’s largest overseas projects. More than 60 Korean artisans spent months creating a 360-degree mural depicting events of the Khmer Empire.

In addition, the Syrian War Museum – a memorial to the 1973 war between Syria and Israel – was also built with the help of North Korean artisans.

European fountain

“Fairy Fountain” in Frankfurt, Germany. Photo: AP

In 2005, Frankfurt City, Germany hired Mansudae Workshop to rebuild the “Fairy Fountain”, which was melted down for copper during World War II.

Tourism

Travelers board a plane of North Korea's national airline Air Koryo at Pyongyang International Airport. Photo: AP

Foreign tourists are a significant source of foreign currency for North Korea. In 2014, more than 100,000 tourists visited North Korea, most of them Chinese. The government hopes to reach 1 million tourists by 2017.

Music/ Performing Arts

Girl group Moranbong. Photo: AP

In December 2015, the North Korean girl group Moranbong visited China to perform in what the North Korean news agency KCNA called a “friendly visit.” However, the show was canceled at the last minute for reasons that remain unclear.

Moranbong members were personally selected and formed by Kim Jong-un in 2012. Dressed in sexy outfits such as short skirts and high heels - a stark contrast to the usual image of North Koreans - the Moranbong band can perform many genres of music such as pop and rock for North Korean leaders to enjoy.

According to Nguoi Lao Dong