My KPA uniform

[Stepan12]

[Preppy Picker]

Very interesting but what interests me even more is, how did this get into the USA?

[Stepan12]

1 minute ago, Preppy Picker said:

Very interesting but what interests me even more is, how did this get into the USA?

i am from Europe, and i bought this from a seller in USA. Chinese people sell them the Americans mostly

[Arkaidiyh]

On 2/18/2022 at 11:25 AM, Preppy Picker said:

Very interesting but what interests me even more is, how did this get into the USA?

From what I have read a lot of this stuff comes from defectors and illegal border crossers into Manchuria.  

[RRA227]

Nice uniform.  Rich A. in Pa.

[Scarecrow]

Nice pick-up.  Thanks for posting.

[danimal03]

I was stationed in South Korea in the USMC. I managed to bring home a few North Korean items. I guess there is a small flow of items making it out.  Neat display. Thank you for sharing!

[NorkLover]

On 6/9/2024 at 9:43 PM, danimal03 said:

I was stationed in South Korea in the USMC. I managed to bring home a few North Korean items. I guess there is a small flow of items making it out.  Neat display. Thank you for sharing!

Finding things in South Korea is quite surprising, of all places. Think bringing anything Nork in is prohibited by law, although ive seen some videos of Kepi's & other misc stuff wash ashore in SK.

What exactly did you find?

[danimal03]

I managed to ask around the local shop owners in Seoul.  After some asking, I was offered an enlisted padded hat.  I paid their asking price.  I think it was around $200, but this was in the year 2000.  So I no longer really remember.  I went through a financial rough patch a few years later and sold it.  I think I sold it for around the same price, but I also cannot remember.  

 

The buyer was someone connected to the intellectual world, like a professor or the like.  I just remember how ecstatic he was to receive it.

 

I also ran into a Colonel who was in charge of certain operations along the border.  He had a small collection of recovered items.  He had a DPRK belt that I really wanted.  We were close on a deal.  He was asking the moon but there was a picture of recovery with the belt so in the end I was going to pay.  I just never ran into him again to close the deal. And so the transaction never happened.  But I saw the items and photos in person there in Seoul.