April 18, 2016 ASIA / PACIFIC Coffee shops all the rage in North Korean capital By Eric Talmadge The Associated Press YONGYANG, North Korea — Pyongyang may be one of the few major cities left on earth where you can’t find a Starbucks. But it’s brimming over with coffee shops. The small, dimly lit cafés have been around in the North Korean capital for years, but the drink’s popularity has surged in Pyongyang recently — enough so, in fact, that it’s sparking a competition among shop owners to provide more of an upscale ambiance and a variety of coffees that would almost put the ubiquitous American chain to shame. “Over the past couple of years the number of people who really know good coffee has grown a lot, and they look around the city to find the best places,” said Ri Hyon A, a barista at a popular café who underwent training in China to learn the craft. “We have a lot of regulars.” Though Pyongyang is far more affluent and well-supplied than the rest of the country, the growth of coffee shops and the openly competitive effort to lure customers and turn a profit reflects a larger transformation that has long been underway in North Korea. While capitalism is still officially frowned upon and the economy remains centrally controlled and largely stagnant, grassroots entrepreneurialism is not only growing but has become a necessity for many North Koreans. Until the famine years of the 1990s, the government provided most citizens with their basic necessities and jobs. The economic crisis caused by the famine taught North Koreans to fend for themselves, however, and forced a gradual opening to more capitalist-style activities. For sure, life in rural areas remains much more hardscrabble — just getting a balanced diet, or meat on a P THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 3 You're Invited Party Rentals Supplies for small gatherings & large special occasions Tables Chairs Linens China Satin overlays Serving items And more! Serving Willamette Valley wine country & more (503) 857-2706 w www.yourinvitedpartyrentals.com MEMBERS-ONLY NIGHT JOIN AT THE DOOR! LAST DAY FOR COLLECTOR’S CORNER LIT. TRIVIA 1-2:30 50% OFF DISCOUNT DAY *EASY TRIMET BUS & MAX ACCESS THOUSANDS OF QUALITY BOOKS, DVDs, CDs, LPs, & AUDIO BOOKS! BARISTA BOOM. Barista Ri Hyon A speaks behind the counter of the Kumrung coffee shop in Pyongyang, North Korea. Pyongyang may be one of the few major cities left on earth where you can’t find a Starbucks, but it’s brimming over with coffee shops. The small, dimly lit cafés have been around in the North Korean capital for years, but the drink’s popularity has surged in Pyongyang re- cently. (AP Photo/Eric Talmadge) regular basis, remains impossible for and sells everything from caramel Macchiatos to strawberry smoothies. many. Ri said the shop has its beans flown But the growing grassroots economy has created something of a in once a month from China. middle class in Pyongyang and some “Cappuccino is popular with other cities, where more people have Koreans,” she said. “Personally, my enough expendable cash to treat favorite is our original hand-dripped themselves to small luxuries like coffee.” coffee, and businesses like street Ri said that while she was training stalls selling drinks or snacks and to be a barista in Beijing, she gave more new restaurants aimed at Starbucks a go. meeting the new market demand are “I tried it, but I didn’t like the coffee mushrooming. very much,” she said. “I think it’s for Ri’s coffee shop, one of hundreds people who don’t really understand now open for business in Pyongyang, good coffee. But I was impressed by greeted its first customers in January how many people go there.” Tu Phan Call for: Refinances Purchases Offering: FHA/VA/Conventional Mortgages NMLS # 1071 MLO # 7916 12550 S.E. 93rd Avenue Suite 350 Clackamas, OR 97015 (503) 496-5718 <tphan@financeofamerica.com> <www.financeofamerica.com>