Okryu-Gwan

North Korean run “Pyongyang” style restaurants are a common sight in north east China.  Especially in cities like Shenyang, Yanji, Dandong and even Beijing.  But, how about Phnom Penh?

Yes, Cambodia has been one of the few friends of North Korea since the early 70’s, but these restaurants are a recent addition to the Cambodian restaurant scene.  Why the recent interest in Cambodia?

In short, the answer is: “South Koreans”.  With the willingness of Cambodia and Vietnam to open up to business development, more and more South Koreans are traveling to these distant and remote places.  And with them, a steady stream of customers for North Korean food.

The same menu of dancing and singing waitresses with beautiful, but melancholy, smiles can be seen in Siem Reap, Saigon and Ho Chi Minh City,   You can even find the famous Pyongyang cold noodles in Mongolia and Nepal.

From the DPRK’s perspective, these countries have had favorable diplomatic and business relationships with North Korea for a while and they feel the risk is manageable.  They certainly don’t mind making money off the traveling South Koreans - singing of reunification, hawking DPRK products and soju, while sending a lion’s share of the profits back to their motherland.

Although, the business arrangements differ depending on the particular restaurant, most are licensed and approved by Pyongyang before any “real” North Korean employees are sent out.  In fact, you have to beware of many “fake” North Korean style restaurants in China where the workers are reallying Chinese-Koreans and the food is not authentic.

An unexpected side effect, however, is that many of these “non-aligned” nations who used to be favorable to DPRK’s stance against the west are now being swayed by the wealth and influence of South Koreans.

“Both the people and the government of South Korea are richer,” Cheam Yiep, a Cambodian People’s Party lawmaker who heads the National Assembly’s committee on finance and banking, said. “Now South Korean tourist visits are No. 1, leading other countries.”

“In general, we count both North and South Korea equally,” he said. “But the difference is that South Korea invests a lot more than North Korea. It is as simple as that.”

Western countries have always viewed South Korea as the rightful steward of the Korean peninsula, should DPRK collapse.  But, how long before the few “friends” North Korean has, start to feel the same way as the west?