South Korean portal selling sanctioned North Korean artwork: lawmaker

North Korean artwork subject to United Nations sanctions and restrictions under South Korean laws is being sold on a major South Korean portal site, according to Rep. Park Choong-kwon on Monday.

Some dozen pieces of artwork produced by Mansudae, a North Korean state-sponsored art studio in Pyongyang, are on sale on Naver, the South Korean ruling party lawmaker said.

He said the art studio, founded in the 1970s by then-North Korean leader Kim Il-sung, was placed under UN sanctions in 2017 for being used to finance the country’s nuclear programs.

Similarly, in 2016, South Korean financial authorities designated the Pyongyang art studio as a restricted party, prohibiting it from engaging in financial activities or transactions here.

The lawmaker said that individuals and entities engaging in transactions with Mansudae may violate laws countering the financing of terrorists.

“Such sales of North Korean works could be seen as a sign South Korea is not properly implementing the UN sanctions measures against North Korea,” he said.

“The circumstances surrounding how the artwork came to be put up for purchase on a South Korean site need to be closely examined to see if they are in fact in compliance with our laws.”