Young North Koreans are shelling out $345 to copy a look that signals power: “gaeteol-shuba,” the dog-fur padded coats worn by soldiers, state security agents, and police.
According to multiple Daily NK sources inside North Korea on Monday, high school students and young people in some areas, including Hoeryong and Chongjin in North Hamgyong province and Hyesan in Ryanggang province, have recently begun wearing homemade gaeteol-shuba.
In fact, young people wearing gaeteol-shuba are commonly seen in Hoeryong and Hyesan. A source in North Hamgyong province said, “In one high school class in Hoeryong, 5 out of 15 male students wear gaeteol-shuba.” Most of these students are children from economically well-off families who pay to have gaeteol-shuba made for them.
Gaeteol-shuba are padded coats worn by soldiers, military officers, state security agents, and police deployed for extended outdoor duties during extreme cold. In North Korean society, this clothing is perceived as a symbol of power. The gaeteol-shuba worn by ordinary soldiers are long, reaching below the knees, but those worn by military officers, state security agents, and police are relatively short, reaching about hip-level.
$345 coat symbolizes power
The gaeteol-shuba trending among young people are the same short-length winter coats worn by military officers, state security agents, and police, with average production costs reaching 2,500 yuan (roughly $345). This is enough to buy about 800 kilograms of rice in North Korea, a price that young people from families experiencing economic hardship can hardly afford.
This trend stems from growing numbers of young people wanting to imitate the clothing of those who symbolize power. One source said, “Gaeteol-shuba have long been perceived as clothing worn by law enforcement.” He added: “With recent increases in crackdowns, enforcement officers wearing gaeteol-shuba have become more visible, which has led more young people to want to imitate them.”
As more young people wear gaeteol-shuba, many mistake them for enforcement officers and become nervous. Some youth even wear the coats to pretend to be officers themselves. This reflects a desire to become enforcers rather than the enforced in an environment where crackdowns are routine.
Meanwhile, some parents with children attending high school are often experiencing conflicts with their children who demand they buy them gaeteol-shuba.
The coats are sparking family conflicts in Ryanggang province. When parents protest that spending $345 on a coat is wasteful with military service looming, children respond with gut-wrenching pleas: “How do you know when I’ll come back?” and “This is my last wish.” Many parents, despite struggling financially, cave to the pressure, according to a source in the province.
Meanwhile, security agencies regard young people’s wearing of homemade gaeteol-shuba as anti-socialist behavior and have begun crackdowns. However, the effectiveness of their crackdowns are in question.
“Young people who wear gaeteol-shuba generally either have powerful people behind them or, even if caught in crackdowns, often hand over a certain level of bribes and immediately get them back,” the source said. “As a result, even when crackdowns occur, people still wear them. This trend won’t die down until winter passes.”
February 03, 2026 at 04:34AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)