VOA慢速英语2019--朝鲜发展本土美容市场

North Korea to Develop Homegrown Beauty Market

North Korea is asking its young, middle-class women to give up international cosmetics² and use products made in their own country. The cosmetics campaign comes as international trade restrictions³ tighten⁴, and products made in other countries become even more difficult to get.

Pushing homegrown beauty has been a political goal since the days of the North’s first leader Kim Il Sung. But the effort has become stronger under his foreign-educated grandson, Kim Jong Un.

Recent defectors and North Korea experts say the campaign is having some success because of the popularity⁶ of South Korea’s K-beauty movement. The K-beauty movement uses products with natural ingredients⁷ that are plentiful⁸ in both Koreas.

But North Korea’s attempt to create K-beauty products of their own has met with some quality issues. Manufacturers⁹ also have difficulty importing the few foreign ingredients that cosmetics require.

Leader Kim Jong Un once dismissed¹⁰ North Korean beauty products, saying they make “raccoon eyes,” reported the Japan-based Choson Sinbo newspaper in 2015.

But Kim has since visited cosmetic¹ factories several times with his wife to popularize the products.

Earlier this year, North Korea’s state-run television KRT showed a video about Pyongyang Cosmetics Factory. It showed a woman replacing Chanel products with North Korean products.

“Lots of foreign customers living in the state visit our shop,” Yang Su Jong told Reuters on a rare visit to the capital last year. She is a sales assistant at Pyongyang Cosmetics Factory.

Chanel, in response to Reuters’ questions, said it did not export products to North Korea. It suggested the products were illegal copies.

First lady and a girl band

North Korea has long controlled its peoples’ appearance.

Blue jeans and clothes with writing in English were banned under Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il. The closed country was trying to keep Western influences out.

But that has changed since Kim came to power in 2011. He and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, began making public appearances. Ri, a former musician, wore colorful clothing that appealed to a desire for self-expression, explained Nam Sung-wook. He is a professor of North Korean studies at Korea University.

“Kim Jong Un…gave rise to first lady Ri Sol Ju, who furthered the regime¹¹’s interest in cosmetics,” he said.

Kang Na-ra is one North Korean defector⁵ who said she used to buy South Korean cosmetics at private markets that help form the North’s informal market economy.

“I really wanted to copy (K-beauty) makeup¹²…when I was in the North,” she said.

Today North Korean women are asked to wear the kind of clothing and makeup used by either the first lady, or the all-woman ‘Moranbong’ musical group. Moranbong is North Korea’s answer to South Korea’s popular K-pop music.

New markets and limits

Pyongyang Cosmetic Factory shipped some Unhasu brand cosmetics to a new store in Moscow in May, Russia media reported.

“Korean Care” is another Russian cosmetics shop selling South Korean products online. It started importing North Korean beauty products directly from Pyongyang last year.

The company targets Russian women and has more than 10,000 customers. It says the products are popular because of their natural ingredients.

“It was especially interesting because it’s North Korean,” said Margarita Kiselyova. She is a Russian customer who bought several products. “I am satisfied with the quality,” she added.

A major South Korean cosmetics company called Amorepacific tested 64 North Korean products. It found some had small amounts of harmful ingredients.

Amorepacific told Reuters it did not have additional¹³ details about the tests.

I’m Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

cosmetic – n. a substance that you put on your face or body to improve your appearance

defector –n. someone who leaves a country, political party or organization to go to its competitor or enemy

plentiful –adj. available and easy to find

brand – n. a category of products that are all made by a particular company

customer – n. one who buys things

regime – n. a form of government

1 cosmetic   

n.化妆品；adj.化妆用的；装门面的；装饰性的

参考例句：

• These changes are purely cosmetic.这些改变纯粹是装饰门面。
• Laughter is the best cosmetic,so grin and wear it!微笑是最好的化妆品，所以请尽情微笑吧！

2 cosmetics   

n.化妆品

参考例句：

• We sell a wide range of cosmetics at a very reasonable price. 我们以公道的价格出售各种化妆品。
• Cosmetics do not always cover up the deficiencies of nature. 化妆品未能掩饰天生的缺陷。

3 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

4 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

5 defector   

n.逃兵，背叛者

参考例句：

• A defector revealed the disposition of the enemy fleet. 有一名叛变者透露了敌方舰队的部署。 来自辞典例句
• While being debriefed the defector named two double agents. 在询问过程中叛变者供出了两名双重间谍。 来自辞典例句

6 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

7 ingredients   

n.（混合物的）组成部分( ingredient的名词复数 )；（烹调的）原料；（构成）要素；因素

参考例句：

• All ingredients are readily available from your local store. 所有的原料都可以方便地从你当地的商店买到。
• We never use second quality ingredients to build building. 我们决不使用次等材料用于建筑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 plentiful   

adj.富裕的，丰富的

参考例句：

• Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。
• Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。

9 manufacturers   

制造商，制造厂( manufacturer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The manufacturers in some countries dumped their surplus commodities abroad. 一些国家的制造商向国外倾销过剩产品。
• Colour TV has been more aggressively promoted as more manufacturers have joined the competition. 由于更多的厂商参与竞争，推销彩色电视机的宣传更为激烈了。

10 dismissed   

v.解雇( dismiss的过去式和过去分词 )；（使击球员或球队）退场；使退去；驳回

参考例句：

• Vegetarians are no longer dismissed as cranks. 素食者不再被视为有怪癖的人。
• He was dismissed for incompetence. 他因不称职而被解雇。

11 regime   

n.政体，政权，制度

参考例句：

• Under the new regime in our office,no one is allowed to leave early.在新的办公制度下，谁也不能早退。
• The people finally rose up and overthrew the reactionary regime.人们终于起来把反动的政权推翻了。

12 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

13 additional   

adj.添加的，额外的，另外的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to set down these additional rules.有必要制定这些补充规则。
• I think we can fit in an additional room.我想我们可以再加建一间房子。