▲ The image of a white sedan resembling a Toyota Camry is captured from the first 2026 issue of North Korea's quarterly magazine, Foreign Trade, on March 3, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

N Korea-car assembly

N. Korean magazine uses purported image of Toyota's Camry to promote car assembly service

SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- A North Korean magazine used an image of what appears to be Toyota's Camry model while promoting a local trading company's car assembly service, a copy of the publication showed Tuesday.

A copy of the first 2026 issue of Foreign Trade, a quarterly state-run North Korean magazine, seen by Yonhap News Agency, carried a story promoting a Pyongyang-based trading company, Kangguk Trading Corp.

The article introduced the firm's business interests as ranging from mining and marine transport to financial service, fishing, IT development, vehicle assembling and fuel sale, among others, along with promotional images, including one of a white sedan resembling a Camry.

The magazine did not elaborate on the firm's car assembly business, but North Korea's automobile industry is known to be almost exclusively restricted to military vehicles, without the capability to produce vehicles for private use.

The magazine said the company is "directing its efforts to diversifying its trade activities" and has offices, branches and joint ventures in Russia, China and several other countries, focusing on processing, technical and service trades.

"Given the environment of foreign markets changing constantly, the corporation is doing its best to open up new markets and strengthen economic exchanges and technical cooperation with foreign businesses," the magazine said, describing the firm's efforts to expand overseas.

The quarterly did not provide further details, but such overseas business expansion could constitute a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions against North Korea, which prohibit member countries from engaging in joint businesses with the country.

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