Mick Hartley

A follow-up to Monday's post on North Korea's booming wig industry, from the Daily NK again:

North Korea’s exports of wigs to China are increasing significantly, leading to high demand for hair to use in wigs. Some women have opted to grow out their hair as much as possible to sell to wig makers for as high a price as possible. 

Speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, a source in North Pyongan Province told Daily NK on Thursday that “our country has been making and selling a lot of wigs to China these days, which has made it very difficult to obtain hair [for wigs].”

North Korea’s efforts to increase wig exports have led to an increase in demand for hair, especially long hair, in the country. Inspection teams, however, crackdown on people with long hair under the pretext that long hair goes against socialist sensibilities. Crackdowns on long-haired women have made it harder for wig makers to acquire long hair. 

“Nonetheless, there are women who avoid the crackdowns and secretly grow out their hair so they can sell it for as much money as possible,” the source said. “During particularly severe crackdowns, these long-haired women take the utmost caution whenever they have to leave their homes.”…

On Oct. 23, China Customs released an official trade report detailing PRC-DPRK trade for the month of September. An Oct. 24 Voice of America (VOA) article quoting the document disclosed that North Korea had exported 182 tons of wigs, fake beards, and fake eyelashes to China in September, worth a total of USD 17.96 million. This amounts to 65% of North Korea’s total trade with China in September (USD 27.79 million).

VOA also said that “North Korea has been greatly increasing the wigs and fake eyelash exports to China since last year. Since February, these products have been North Korea’s number one export to China for eight months running.”

Conversely, North Korea’s largest import from China in September was hair, totaling 206 tons worth USD 21.46 million. North Korea acts as the OEM for Chinese companies: importing hair from China, using the hair to create wigs, and then exporting said wigs back to China.

Unlike coal, weapons, and art, wigs are not subject to the United Nations Security Council’s sanctions against North Korea. Thanks to this exception, wigs are becoming an effective means for earning foreign currency without being hindered by outside restrictions.