Like their counterparts south of the border, more North Korean parents are buying supplements to help their children grow taller, Daily NK has learned.
With limited access to reliable information, parents often rely on word of mouth or vendors’ claims about these pricey supplements.
A source in South Pyongan province told Daily NK recently that wealthy parents in Kaechon have recently been purchasing ordinary health supplements falsely marketed as growth hormones, costing around 300 Chinese yuan (around $41-42).
In North Korea, 300 yuan represents a significant sum—enough to buy 80-90 kilograms of rice at local markets.
Consumers purchasing these expensive health supplements reportedly trust them simply because they’re foreign-made. Most buyers don’t know what the supplements contain or whether they can actually increase height, nor do they investigate further.
The most popular supplements sold in North Korean marketplaces include Chinese Omega-3 pills and products from the Dacudi line. While these contain ingredients beneficial for cardiovascular and brain health, they have no direct effect on increasing height.
Since most North Koreans cannot read the foreign-language instructions, they mistakenly believe these drugs will help their children grow taller, the source explained.
“Products imported from China are often misrepresented to customers based on what they want to hear. Buyers never suspect these expensive foreign products might be misrepresented,” the source said.
“More people who’ve invested heavily in these supplements are now consulting experts for proper explanations. While customers are often surprised to learn the actual purpose of the drugs, they don’t feel cheated because the products still offer health benefits.”
Amid the popularity of these expensive foreign supplements, cheaper alternatives have emerged.
Itinerant medicine vendors sell dubious products marketed as “height-increasing medicine” at lower prices than imported drugs. These target parents who want their children to grow taller but cannot afford premium products.
“What these traveling medicine sellers market as height-enhancement medicine is typically just multivitamins with sweet-and-sour flavoring. Nobody knows what these pills contain or where they come from. They’re fleeting products that disappear from the market quickly,” the source said.
March 06, 2025 at 10:30AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)