Anti-American souvenirs like propaganda posters, postcards, and stamps have become scarce in North Korea in the wake of President Trump’s historic summit last week with Kim Jong Un in Singapore, according to multiple reports.
“We had a group go down to the [Demilitarized Zone] from Pyongyang three days after the summit held in Singapore where we noticed the change in what was being sold to tourists at the gift shop,” Rowan Beard, a tour manager at Young Pioneer Tours, told Reuters in an interview published Wednesday. “They’ve shifted the focus from anti-Americanism to improving agriculture, sports, and boosting the local economy.”
“In five years working in North Korea, I’ve never seen them completely disappear before,” Beard continued, referring to anti-American posters.
Simon Cockerell, Koryo Tours’ general manager, added local vendors would not have removed the merchandise without being instructed by Kim’s regime.
Trump’s summit with Kim culminated in the pair signing a four-point joint statement in which they promised “to work toward complete denuclearization” and “the building of a lasting and robust peace regime on the Korean peninsula.”
[Also read: White House puts photos of Trump-Kim summit on display]
Trump also agreed to suspend military exercises on the region, while Kim said he would destroy a missile engine test site.
The Pentagon on Monday announced the cancellation of August’s Ulchi Freedom Guardian “war game” with South Korea.
