How does a tired North Korean unwind? Beer. Beer. And more Beer
Beer – considered a soft drink in North Korea – is often consumed in stand-up bars where customers have a few quick drinks and maybe some dried fish or nuts before heading off
Putting on a major political event can be pretty exhausting in North Korea, where everyone is expected to pitch in.
Ahead of the ongoing congress of the ruling Workers’ Party, North Koreans were called upon to put in massive overtime to boost production and show their devotion to leader Kim Jong-un in a 70-day “loyalty campaign”. And that’s in addition to hours upon hours of rehearsals for huge rallies that will provide the de rigueur show of national unity when the ruling party wraps up its first congress in decades.
So how does a tired North Korean unwind?
Beer. Beer. And more beer.
Although soju – a vodka-like drink usually made from distilled rice – is probably more popular, North Koreans do love their beer, and Pyongyang has its own special brew, called Taedonggang after a river that runs through the capital.
Unlike soju, beer is considered a soft drink in North Korea and is often consumed in stand-up bars, where customers have a few quick drinks and maybe some dried fish or nuts before heading off to their next destination.
In typical North Korean fashion, Kim Yon-hui, a 29-year-old waitress at a beer bar on Pyongyang’s new Scientists’ Street high-rise area, said she believes that by serving beer she is actually serving the leader.