McDonald’s Better Set Up Shop in North Korea Before Burger King Beats Them to the Punch

According to The Guardian, not so secret private enterprise is bolstering North Korea’s economy.

If capitalism could be represented in a symbol, it’d be the Golden Arches of McDonald’s. If the economic system had a mascot, it’d be Ronald, their terrifying greasepaint and nightmares clown (which I’ve never understood why a company would want associated with edible products of any kind). Honestly, Grimace would be a better mascot, because he is, at the very least, shaped like most of your frequent-flyer customers.

Now that North Korea can be counted as among the nations that practice capitalism (whether openly or covertly), McDonald’s will likely be in their future. Plus, you can tell just by looking at him that Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un wants a Happy Meal with the super cool Transformers toy for big boys.

As the Guardian reports, “While on paper private entrepreneurial activities remain illegal, the law is seldom, if ever, enforced. As a result some North Koreans – the more entrepreneurial, lucky, well-connected and ruthless of them – have recreated the market economy from scratch…It is estimated that 30-50% of North Korean GDP is now produced by the private sector.”

So, saddle up, Mickey D’s! There are Big Macs and McRibs to be sold in Pyongyang (and maybe some Shamrock Shakes even if the North Koreans have never heard of St. Patrick’s Day, I’m sure they’d love a refreshingly minty treat in the month of March)! You may currently be in 119 of the 196 countries in the world, and so close to winning this real-life game of Risk that you can’t quit now. And if not you, well, Burger King can’t be far behind.

Written by

Alex Logan

As cohost of the political commentary series, Jesse Ventura's Off the Grid, Alex Logan is The Body's body man. Alex and the former governor, action star, wrestler, and everything else in between, tackle the headlines of the week with an uncensored and independent spirit as we hold the two parties' feet to the fire. A deserter of Dayton, Ohio, Alex graduated from the University of Southern California Film School with a degree in Writing for Screen and TV. Alex has assisted in the booking of live acts for the Creative Artists Agency; written jokes, sketches and stunts for MTV and producer Johnny Knoxville; developed treatments and scripts for Anonymous Content and Mark Gordon Productions; and co-founded the Improv Olympic West’s headliner sketch group, The Mutiny, who play sold out shows around LA and at the Chicago and San Francisco Sketch Fests, as well as producing numerous videos for the front pages of YouTube, College Humor, and Funny Or Die. He did a stint as Editor and Technical Producer on Larry King’s Hulu talk show before partnering with Larry and Jesse to co-create Off the Grid. In the first season, Alex co-headed the entire production, writing, producing, and cohosting over 150 episodes. And he's back for Season Two, now serving as producer and host of a series of Man on the Street field pieces called, On the Grid. He also wrote this professional bio with his own two hands.

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