AliExpress Under Fire for North Korean Merchandise

According to industry sources on the 26th, various products glorifying North Korea’s regime and geography can be found on the Chinese e-commerce platform AliExpress by simply typing North Korea in Korean or English in the search bar.

A notable example of North Korean-related merchandise for sale on the platform is a character t-shirt titled Kim Yo Joong Animation Waifu T-shirt. This product features an animated image of Kim Yo Jong, the Vice Department Director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

Although the product is related to Deputy Director Kim Yo Jong, the product name Kim Yo Joong appears to have been intentionally misspelled to avoid triggering keyword filters set by the company. A badge sold under Kim Yo Joong Hope Soft Button directly prints a photo of the Vice Department Director Kim, and such practices appear to require sanctions against the company.

Moreover, T-shirts glorifying North Korea’s notorious rocket launches are also being sold, causing controversy. The shirt, emblazoned with the phrase The First Roar of a Powerful Nation, features an image of a rocket launch.

The UN Security Council, after North Korea’s launch of the Kwangmyongsong 2 artificial satellite in 2009, enacted Resolution 1874, which prohibits any launch using ballistic missile technology, making rocket launches a crucial part of sanctions against North Korea.

Shockingly, products that seem to encourage defection to North Korea are also being sold. These items include a t-shirt with the phrase North Korea is calling, and I must go, implies the wearer should go to North Korea. Products also feature the North Korean national emblem, a symbol often used by the state to promote patriotism.

In contrast, searching for “North Korea” on South Korean e-commerce platforms usually finds books about North Korea. However, to sidestep potential problems, some companies choose not to display any related content at all.

Major e-commerce companies in South Korea have dedicated teams to monitor and filter out products related to dictatorship politics and internationalism. Sellers of problematic items are warned; if warnings accumulate, their accounts are restricted.

A South Korean e-commerce official explained, “Banning the sale of products that could cause controversy is a common stance among companies.”

On the other hand, AliExpress, despite pledging to invest $8.4 million last year to strengthen monitoring of products sold in the Korean market, is facing criticism for focusing only on counterfeit goods. The company temporarily cracks down on products that attract public criticism but does not proactively filter them, leading to repeated criticism.

In response, the Korean Customs Service met with AliExpress and other international direct purchase platforms in Seoul on the 26th to discuss cooperation measures for protecting South Korean consumers, including investigating the distribution of illegally imported goods.

As of the 29th, following the controversy over North Korea-related products, such items are no longer visible on the AliExpress site.