Before the pandemic, a strange spot called the "Pyongyang Pub" (평양술집) opened in Hongdae, a hip area in western Seoul known to attract young 20-somethings.

Old-fashioned NK tunes blasted at its entrance & its walls were covered with red banners imitating political slogans.

Even before the pub opened, it was criticized. Originally, it featured portraits of Kim Jong-il & Kim Il Sung at its entrance. But because that violated Korea's National Security Act, which deems it illegal to to praise the DPRK, they have since been swapped with these portraits

Here's some of the alcohol that's served at the pub. To the far left is beer that imitates North Korea's "Daedong-gang" beer, named after the famous Daedong River.

But at the pub, they tweaked it so the label reads “dae-ddong,” which literally translates into “poop river.”

Ironically, even though it's one of Seoul's rare "North Korea-themed" spaces, the waitress told us that their most popular dish is gopchang jeongol, or beef trip hot pot -- a South Korean dish. The music inside also played popular K-pop tunes.

The owner is also a SK businessman

I wondered how defectors felt about this space -- one that borrowed elements from their home country "for fun", as the pub owner told me.

So, I invited Kim Eun-Joo, who came to the South four years ago, to check out Pyongyang Pub with me and to gauge her thoughts on the space.

We ordered almost every North Korean dish on the menu -- this is dubu bap, or tofu rice, which - as it sounds - is fried tofu stuffed w/rice.

The pub served it w/spicy, seasoned rice inside, but acc to Kim, in NK, the rice is plain white rice served w/a separate spicy paste.

Kim told me that eating North Korean dishes and listening to familiar songs brings back memories, but that she doesn’t quite know what to make of spaces like the pub that are filled with elements of home but ironically, deepen her alienation as a North Korean in South Korea.