A knock-off Ikea has popped up in one of Kim Jong-un’s luxury shopping centres in North Korea – despite the retailer saying there are no authorised stores in the hermit nation.

Set in the shiny Ryugyong plaza shopping mall in central Pyongyang, the fake store comes complete with a huge collection of furniture – from tables and chairs to desks and shelves – and Ikea’s iconic blue and yellow logo on its entrance. It is not known if the products being sold are genuine pieces by the Swedish retail giant.

Eyebrows were raised when the outlet was spotted in TikTok video showing a creator visiting luxury boutiques at Ryumgyong mall, which opened its doors in 2023. The clip, released by the state-controlled DPRK Times, has since been branded a classic example of North Korean propaganda, with the supposed shopper panning the camera across stores that claim to be high-end Western brands, including Chanel and Adidas.

Ikea meanwhile told Swedish newspaper Expressen: "There are no authorized Ikea retailers in North Korea," and that violations of intellectual property rights are continuously monitored with “appropriate action taken”.