Pothonggang Department Store

{{Short description|Department store in Pyongyang, North Korea}}

{{Infobox organization

| name =Pothonggang Department Store

| formation ={{Start date and age|2010|12}}

| purpose = Retail sale of goods

| location =Pyongyang, North Korea

}}

{{Infobox Korean name

| hangul = 보통강백화점

| hanja = 普通江百貨店

| rr = Botonggangbaekwajeom

| mr = Pot'onggangbaek'wajŏm

| koreanipa =

| context = north

}}

The Pothonggang Department Store ({{langx|ko|보통강백화점}}) is a department store in Pyongyang, North Korea.{{Cite web|title = North Korea's black market becoming the new normal|url = https://news.yahoo.com/north-koreas-black-market-becoming-normal-000434712.html|website = Yahoo News|access-date = 2016-01-28}} It is located near the Pothong River ("Pothonggang" in Korean).

The Pothonggang Department Store was officially opened by Kim Jong Il in December 2010. It was reported by Forbes in 2011 that the shelves in this three-storey store were completely stocked with imported goods.{{Cite web|title = Invading North Korea|url = https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2011/1024/feature-invade-north-korea-cola-gabriel-schulze-gady-epstein.html|website = Forbes|date = 2011-10-05|access-date = 2016-01-28|first = Gady|last = Epstein}} Items were priced in North Korean won and included Mars bars, Heinz ketchup, high-end spirits and cigarettes, mostly imported from Asia and Europe. Apparel and shoes were available on another floor.{{Cite web|title = North Korea: Black economy swelling disposable incomes|url = http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/north-korea-black-economy-swelling-disposable-incomes-1526324|website = International Business Times UK|access-date = 2016-01-28}} Inexpensive Chinese clothes and furniture are also on sale.{{cite book|last=Hokkanen|first=Jouni|chapter=Pohjois-Korea: Matkailijan opas|trans-chapter=North Korea: Traveler's Guide|title=Pohjois-Korea: Siperiasta itään|year=2013|publisher=Johnny Kniga|location=Helsinki|language=fi|isbn=978-951-0-39946-0|trans-title=North Korea: East of Siberia|page=[10]}}