Kim Jong-il's personal chef Kenji Fujimoto stated, "Stores in Pyongyang were brimming with products and people in the streets looked cheerful.
Tak lama kemudian, koki pribadi Kim Jong-il, Kenji Fujimoto, menyatakan: "Toko di Pyongyang penuh dengan aneka produk dan warga di jalan-jalan tampak ceria.