The Secret North Korean Currency Used On The Black Market

TL;DR

Choco pies, a South Korean snack, have become a symbol of capitalism and a secret currency in North Korea, leading to a ban and propaganda campaign by the North Korean government.

Transcript

[Applause] North Korea is assumedly not the nicest place to live a totalitarian government you get shot if you try to leave death camps oh and a secret currency made of chocolate welcome to fact file the YouTube show that brings you strange and interesting facts from around the world three times a week every week in today's video we're going to be ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🥧 Choco pies originated in the US as moon pies and have variations in different countries, such as wagon wheels in the UK.
• 🥺 The introduction of choco pies to North Korean workers led to smuggling, as they became a valuable and alternative currency.
• 🤕 The North Korean government saw choco pies as a threat to their ideology and banned them, launching a propaganda campaign against the snack.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is a choco pie and how did it become popular in North Korea?

A choco pie is a snack cake with two layers of cake and a marshmallow filling, covered in chocolate. It became popular in North Korea after being introduced to workers at the Kaesong Industrial Complex.

Q: Why did choco pies become a symbol of capitalism in North Korea?

Choco pies represented a glimpse into the capitalist world, where such simple and delicious candies could be purchased without trouble. This threatened the North Korean government's ideology, leading to a ban and propaganda campaign.

Q: How did the North Korean government react to the popularity of choco pies?

The government banned choco pies, claiming health concerns. They also launched an anti-choco pie propaganda campaign, spreading false information about the snack and its connection to capitalist ideals.

Q: What was the response to the ban on choco pies in North Korea?

South Koreans and some North Korean defectors organized an act of rebellion by attaching choco pies to balloons and releasing them into North Korea. The North Korean government threatened those behind this act.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The choco pie is a snack cake with two layers of cake and a marshmallow filling, covered in chocolate, and it has become popular in South Korea, Japan, and the US.

• In North Korea, choco pies were introduced to workers at the Kaesong Industrial Complex, which led to smuggling and the creation of a chocolatey alternate currency.

• The North Korean government banned choco pies, claiming health concerns, and launched an anti-choco pie propaganda campaign to suppress its symbolic value.