Coca-Cola is Off-Limits in North Korea and Cuba – Here’s Why

North Korea and Cuba ban Coca-Cola
Due to their socialist nature
Cocoa-carbonated water as a substitute

It’s often said that Coca-Cola can be found anywhere in the world, even in remote villages in Africa. However, it’s currently a hot topic that this globally popular beverage can’t be found in North Korea and Cuba.

In North Korea and Cuba, the sale of Coca-Cola Company products, a symbol of capitalism and American culture, is banned, presumably due to ideological and political reasons.

Coca-Cola is a brand that boasts phenomenal popularity, selling more than 2 billion bottles worldwide every day.

Business Insider has referred to Coca-Cola as a symbol of American culture and capitalism. It reported that Coca-Cola, which can be found worldwide, cannot be sold in the communist countries of North Korea and Cuba.

According to Business Insider, Coca-Cola cannot enter certain countries due to ideological reasons, dictatorships, wars, and other political factors.

In North Korea, the import of Coca-Cola has been banned since the 1950s, following the Korean War. This prohibition is officially enforced due to the complete cessation of exchanges with the U.S. after North Korea transitioned to a communist regime, as well as recent U.S. sanctions limiting foreign investment in North Korea amid its successive nuclear tests and missile provocations.

The sale of Coca-Cola is also banned in Cuba, another communist country. Initially, Coca-Cola included Cuba as one of its first overseas markets, as well as Canada and Panama.

In 1906, Coca-Cola established its first overseas factory in Cuba, using it as a sales hub for the Central and South American markets. However, after the Cuban Revolution and the rise of the Fidel Castro regime, the company had to withdraw from its Cuban base.

In 1961, after Cuba severed diplomatic relations with the U.S. and nationalized American companies, Coca-Cola had to withdraw from Cuba completely.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t find Coca-Cola in North Korea and Cuba. While the sale and distribution of Coca-Cola are banned, it has been confirmed that smuggled beverages are unofficially circulated through the black market. According to Business Insider, various knock-off versions of Coca-Cola are also being sold in North Korea.

Recently, Koryo Tours, a North Korean tour specialist, introduced a beverage called Cocoa Carbonated Water, similar to Coca-Cola, on its website, stating it is being sold in North Korea.

Additionally, a video posted by a tourist who visited North Korea showed cans of Coca-Cola Company being sold at Haeun Italian Specialty restaurant, an Italian restaurant in Pyongyang. While there have been rumors of Coca-Cola being consumed in North Korea, this is an unusual case, which was confirmed through video and drew a lot of attention.

An official from the Ministry of Unification said, “Coca-Cola is currently being produced and sold in China, and it is believed to be consumed in North Korea. The consumption of Chinese-made Coca-Cola in North Korea is not a recent development.”

Business Insider also reported on other communist countries that have allowed the sale of Coca-Cola as sanctions and embargoes were lifted.

After establishing a communist regime in China in 1949, Western imports were banned until 1979, when the ban was lifted, allowing Coca-Cola to enter the market. Since then, China has become the third-largest carbonated beverage market, following the U.S. and Mexico.

Furthermore, in the case of Vietnam, rapid economic development occurred after Coca-Cola’s entry was permitted for the first time in 30 years through lifting the U.S. embargo in 1994. Following the embargo’s lifting, Vietnam attracted more than $300 million in investment from Coca-Cola for new infrastructure and jobs in 2013.

Economic experts believe it will be difficult for Coca-Cola to enter North Korea shortly. For the ban on the distribution of Coca-Cola Company in North Korea to be lifted, the UN and U.S. sanctions must be lifted. Current UN and U.S. sanctions make it difficult for foreign capital to invest and finance in North Korea, so discussions can only occur after the sanctions are lifted.

Meanwhile, there have been reports that representatives of Coca-Cola and the American fast-food franchise KFC were invited to North Korea by the Daepung Group to discuss opening branches.

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Unification stated, “It appears that discussions are underway to establish local branches to produce and sell Coca-Cola Company products in North Korea, but this is a matter that needs to be negotiated with the state, not the company’s CEO.”

Coca-Cola even created a limited edition cola to commemorate the 2018 North Korea-U.S. summit, featuring an animation of then-U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. This suggests that the Coca-Cola Company also wants to enter the North Korean market as a corporation.