Marketing In North Korea (19)

North Korea’s Brand Imitation: A Peek into a Copycat Economy

Jeon Byung-kil

Senior Consultant of YESInnovation

former of Secretary General of UniKorea Foundation

The Curious Case of North Korean Brands

All around the world, companies work hard to create unique brands that consumers love. But in reality, only a few succeed, and many end up copying successful brands instead. North Korea is no exception.

For over 80 years, North Korea has been isolated from capitalist economies due to its political and social system. As a result, most of its products were made only for local use, and the country has never developed a globally successful brand. 

Lacking experience in international branding, North Korean companies often take a shortcut—they imitate well-known global brands. This trend isn’t unique to North Korea; many developing countries follow a similar pattern. Without the resources or expertise to create strong brands from scratch, businesses in these nations frequently copy successful ones to gain consumer trust.

Why Does North Korea Copy Famous Brands?

North Korea’s economy has undergone significant changes since the 1990s. During a severe economic crisis, people turned to informal markets to survive, leading to a more competitive business environment. By 2014, the government introduced the Socialist Corporate Responsibility Management System, granting state-run businesses more freedom to operate like private companies.

With this newfound economic flexibility, businesses needed to attract customers. But without experience in the global market, North Korean companies struggled to develop original brands. Instead, they opted for a more familiar strategy—copying foreign designs and logos for domestic sales. Since consumers tend to trust recognizable packaging and branding, this approach made sense for businesses trying to survive in a competitive market.

How North Korea Imitates Famous Brands

In today’s globalized world, branding is a powerful tool. A logo, mascot, or packaging design can instantly remind consumers of a trusted company. However, in North Korea, where international trade and access to global markets are limited, businesses have found creative ways to imitate well-known brands. Their tactics range from subtle tweaks to near-identical copies. Here are four key strategies North Korean businesses use to mimic global brands.

1. Copying Logos and Symbols

Logos are one of the most recognizable elements of a brand, and North Korean businesses often make slight modifications to famous designs while keeping them familiar. For instance:

 • Ryuwon, a North Korean sportswear brand, incorporates elements from Nike’s swoosh, Adidas’ three stripes, and Asics’ designs.

 • Some North Korean handbag brands feature patterns strikingly similar to Burberry’s checkered design or even Chanel’s iconic “C” logo.

These changes may be just enough to avoid direct copyright infringement, but they still create an association with internationally known brands.

2. Using Familiar Cartoon Mascots

Mascots play a significant role in marketing, and North Korean brands have borrowed characters that bear an uncanny resemblance to international favorites. Examples include:

 • A Hello Kitty-like character used for the Unhasu candy brand.

 • A bear resembling Winnie the Pooh, seen on banana-flavored snacks.

 • A fire-breathing chicken, almost identical to Samyang’s Buldak Ramen mascot, appearing on North Korean spicy noodles.

By using these characters, North Korean companies make their products more appealing, especially to younger consumers.

3. Mimicking Packaging Designs

Packaging can make or break a product’s appeal, and North Korean brands have taken inspiration from popular designs. Some examples include:

 • Dumangang’s beef-flavored instant noodles, which strongly resemble South Korea’s Shin Ramyun.

 • Gyeongheung’s spicy noodles, which use packaging almost identical to Samyang’s Buldak Ramen.

 • North Korean soft drinks, such as “Coca-Cola Carbonated Sweet Water,” which closely mimic Coca-Cola’s branding.

 • Chocolate snacks that look nearly identical to Orion’s Choco Pie, a South Korean favorite.

These similarities can make it difficult to distinguish between authentic international brands and their North Korean counterparts at first glance.

4. Slightly Altering Brand Names

Instead of directly copying brand names, North Korean businesses often make small changes that still hint at the original product. Some examples include:

 • “Spicy Chicken Fried Noodles,” an obvious imitation of Buldak Ramen.

 • “Beef-Flavored Fried Noodles,” which closely resemble South Korea’s Sogokimyun.

 • “Coca-Cola Carbonated Sweet Water,” a clear reference to Coca-Cola.

These minor tweaks help North Korean companies create products that seem familiar while avoiding outright trademark infringement.

Why Does This Continue?

Why do North Korean businesses copy instead of creating their own ideas? The main reasons come from North Korea’s isolated economy and government policies.

First, they lack branding experience. North Korea has been cut off from global marketing trends for decades. Because of this, many businesses don’t know how to build strong, original brands. Instead, copying well-known brands is an easier option.

Second, consumer trust plays a role. People tend to trust familiar packaging and designs. South Korean and global brands are seen as high quality, so copying them makes North Korean products look more reliable. If a product looks like a famous brand, people are more likely to buy it.

Third, foreign products are hard to find. Due to international sanctions, real foreign products are scarce in North Korea. This makes copies an easy alternative. If consumers can’t buy the original, they might be happy with something that looks similar.

Lastly, government policies allow this to happen. While North Korea encourages businesses to create brands, it doesn’t strictly enforce intellectual property laws. This means companies can copy foreign brands without getting into legal trouble. Since there are no serious consequences, businesses continue to do it.

What Are the Effects of Brand Imitation?

North Korea’s habit of copying well-known brands has both good and bad effects. While it helps businesses in some ways, it also creates problems that could hurt them in the long run.

The Positive Effects. First, imitation helps local businesses create products that look attractive and marketable. Since people trust familiar designs, copying popular brands can make North Korean products seem more appealing to buyers.

Second, it encourages some level of competition and product improvement. Even if companies are not creating original brands, they still have to make their copies look and feel high quality.

Third, it shows a shift toward a more consumer-driven economy. If businesses care about what customers want, they may eventually develop better products.

The Negative Effects. However, there are also major downsides. First, copying prevents North Korean companies from developing their own strong brands. Instead of becoming leaders in the market, they stay stuck in a cycle of imitation.

Second, if North Korea ever tries to expand trade with other countries, these imitations could lead to legal trouble. Many countries have strict intellectual property laws, and selling copied products could result in lawsuits or trade restrictions.

Finally, relying on imitation keeps North Korean businesses from learning how to innovate. Instead of creating new ideas and improving products, they remain dependent on copying others. In the long run, this limits their ability to grow and compete globally.

Brand imitation may provide short-term benefits, but real success comes from originality and innovation. If North Korea wants a stronger economy, it will need to shift from copying to creating its own unique brands.

From Copycats to Creators?

Despite its isolation, North Korea’s imitation brands reveal an interesting shift. The fact that branding and competition are becoming important suggests that a more market-driven economy is taking shape. However, if North Korean businesses want long-term success—especially in international markets—they will eventually need to transition from imitation to innovation.

For now, North Korea’s branding strategy is more about imitation than originality. But if its businesses want to compete beyond their borders, they’ll have to step up their game.