North Korea Opens New Barbecue Restaurants in Bid to Project Prosperity
North Korea has opened over a dozen barbecue restaurants across the country as part of an initiative by Kim Jong Un to project prosperity, amid ongoing severe food shortages.
North Korea has opened over a dozen Korean-barbecue restaurants featuring beef, pork, and even ostrich, as part of a campaign led by Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un to project economic prosperity and improved living standards.
According to state media reports, the new multi-story establishments are equipped with built-in grilling tables. Locations have been established in Sinuiju near the Chinese border, Kanggye in the north, and Nampo on the west coast, where fireworks marked the opening ceremony. Analysts note the initiative aims to showcase development outside Pyongyang.
Symbolism of Meat
Experts explain that meat holds deep symbolic meaning in North Korea, recalling former leader Kim Il Sung's promise to provide citizens with "white rice and meat soup." Dr. Benjamin Katzoff Silverstein from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem noted that the restaurant rollout coincides with other leisure developments, such as water parks and luxury department stores, designed to highlight the regime's focus on the people.
Despite the festive facade, severe food insecurity persists in the country. The United Nations World Food Programme estimated that roughly 40 percent of the population suffered from undernutrition in 2022. Meanwhile, meat imports from China surged significantly between 2023 and 2025, reaching nearly $39 million according to UN trade data.
Elite Access and Propaganda
Defectors and researchers remain skeptical about the accessibility of these establishments for ordinary citizens. Lee Ae-ran, who defected from North Korea in 1997 and now runs a restaurant in Seoul, stated that luxury eateries in the country are typically reserved for privileged classes. While the regime uses these culinary projects for propaganda, millions continue to face economic hardships.
