Reason.com
Briefly Noted: Pyongyang Chic
The fact that jeans are forbidden in North Korea didn’t stop three employees of the Swedish advertising agency Great Works from arranging to produce 1,100 pairs of the pants in Kim Jong-Il’s Hermit Kingdom. Nor were they deterred by the fact that the country is ruled by a paranoid crime family that starves and executes dissenters. After years of wrangling with government officials and unskilled factory workers, NoKo Jeans were born. They are currently on sale at $220 per pair, almost five months salary for the average North Korean worker.
According to the manufacturer, part of the asking sale price goes to the slave laborers in Pyongyang. This promise wasn’t enough for the Stockholm department store PUB, which backed out of an agreement to sell the jeans, citing “working conditions in North Korea.” In a press release, the founders of NoKo denounced the decision not to sell their trousers as “censorship.” —Michael C. Moynihan
More Articles by Michael C. Moynihan
- Tranströmer, More Than Meets the Eye, Michael C. Moynihan, November 20, 2011
- Cuban Capitalism, Michael C. Moynihan, May 23, 2011
- Ending the Birther Debate, Michael C. Moynihan, April 29, 2011
Related Articles (Censorship, Civil Liberties, Culture, North Korea)
- Do Organic Consumers Shop Exclusively at the Jerk Store?, Baylen Linnekin, May 26, 2012
- DC Capitol Hemp Shutting Down: Obama's War on Drugs to Blame, Joshua Swain, Kennedy & Nick Gillespie, May 21, 2012
- King-Sized No More, Greg Beato, May 20, 2012
- Romney's Gay Marriage Challenge, Jacob Sullum, May 16, 2012
- Taco USA, Gustavo Arellano, May 14, 2012
Most Popular Stories
- 5 Classic Teen Sex-and-Drug Freakouts: Rainbow Parties, Butt-Chugging, And So Much More (By Which We Mean Less) (5.27)
- Government Beneficiaries and Other Fairy Tales (5.26)
- Are We Headed for a Fight with China? (5.28)
- Do Organic Consumers Shop Exclusively at the Jerk Store? (5.26)
- Lessons From the United Fruit Company (5.28)
Reason RUPE: Public Opinion Survey
- Reason-Rupe: Wisconsinites Favor Increasing Public Union Retirement Contributions to Address Budget Deficit (5.25)
- Reason-Rupe Poll Finds Support for Public Union Reforms (5.25)
- New Poll: Obama Leads Romney In Wisconsin, But Gary Johnson Could Impact the Race (5.24)
- Wisconsin Recall: Walker Leads Barrett 50-42 Among Likely Voters (5.24)
- Reason-Rupe Poll: Walker Leads Barrett 50-42, Obama Leads Romney 46-36 (5.24)
advertisements
Get Reason E-mail Updates!
Manage your Reason e-mail list subscriptionsSite comments/questions:
Media Inquiries and Reprint Permissions:
(310) 367-6109
Editorial & Production Offices:
3415 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 391-2245
Editor's Note: We invite comments and request that they be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of Reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment or disable your ability to comment for any reason at any time.
abercrombie milano|5.27.10 @ 2:53AM|#
It is interesting and informative article. Thank you.
nfl jerseys|11.4.10 @ 11:40PM|#
ntydr
nike air max|8.2.11 @ 2:56AM|#
is good
moncler outlet|12.2.11 @ 1:49AM|#
good