North Korea’s Ponghak Beer, the beer of choice among North Korea’s elite, has appeared in the Chinese market.
Alongside Taedonggang Beer, which was already widely known, and Tumangang Beer, an emerging contender actively promoted by North Korean authorities, even Ponghak Beer has now entered the Chinese market, giving all of North Korea’s recognized and symbolic beer brands a presence there.
According to multiple Daily NK sources in China, Ponghak Beer is sold at import shops in the Chinese city of Dandong, Liaoning province.
North Korean trade officials in China have worked hard since late last year to find local vendors to distribute Ponghak Beer, with the beer now distributed through Chinese entities that have signed consignment sales agreements with North Korea.
Produced at Ponghak Foodstuffs Factory in Pyongsong, South Pyongan province, Ponghak Beer is widely seen in North Korea as a premium beer enjoyed by senior officials and other members of the country’s elite. Even in China, it’s promoted as a “premium beer North Korea’s elite drinks.”
A box of twelve 500-milliliter bottles of Ponghak Beer sells for 120 to 130 Chinese yuan (roughly $16-$18) in the Dandong area.
“The price is roughly similar to other North Korean beers sold in China,” a source said. “They are actively using Ponghak Beer’s image and symbolism as the beer of the elite to promote it, but the response has been limited so far.”
Limited recognition, aggressive promotion
“Compared to Taedonggang Beer, which is already seen as North Korea’s leading beer, and Tumangang Beer, which has carved out a place in the market, Ponghak Beer remains an unknown quantity to Chinese consumers,” the source said. “So, North Korean trade officials are promoting the beer to raise its name recognition while recruiting more Chinese vendors to sell it on commission.”
North Korea is thus actively promoting its products overseas while seeking to boost distribution and sales by fully leveraging product image and symbolism in promotional efforts.
North Korea can move light industrial products like beer relatively easily, while mineral and seafood exports remain blocked by international sanctions.
Ponghak Beer’s entry into China, along with the recent mass-export of Tumangang Beer to Russia, hints at North Korea’s strategy to secure foreign currency through alcohol exports to the entire Northeast Asian market.
However, because North Korean beers sold in China are generally triple or quadruple the cost of local brands like Snow, Tsingtao, Yanjing, Harbin, and Zhujiang, they are unlikely to gain mass appeal even if they break into the market.
January 17, 2026 at 01:11AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)