N. Korea opens first 'fast food' restaurant in Pyongyang

SEOUL, July 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has opened its first "fast food"
restaurant in its capital of Pyongyang, a pro-North Korean newspaper in Japan
said Saturday.


The Chosun Sinbo, considered a mouthpiece for the North Korean regime, said the
restaurant is "becoming a subject of conversation among citizens who are
sensitive to new things."
The restaurant, named Samtaeseong, sells food like hamburgers, waffles and beer
for prices ranging from 0.4-1.2 euros each, according to the report.
While the restaurant was set up by a company in Singapore, the North Korean side
is providing employees and food materials, the report said.
Croissants and hot dogs will be added to the menu in the near future, it said.
The report emphasized that Samtaeseong is "localizing" itself for North Korean
tastes rather than copying similar stores in foreign countries.
North Korea suffers from chronic food shortages, with private analysts saying
that about 1 million people may have starved to death during the famine of the
late 1990s.
(END)