Visitors to the Kwangbok Department Store can pick up dish drainers and cutlery holders, according to dedicated Pyongyang watchers NK News, which also reports the Swedish furniture giant's logo is clearly visible.

Simon Cockerell, general manager of Koryo Tours, told the website there was a showcase area of three or four rooms, including a kitchen and bedroom.

“For many people who would shop there it is still a bit aspirational that they could deck out their homes like that, but it is to give ideas and introduce concepts so I think it’s a good idea,” he said.

A company spokesperson made it plain the store had no permission to sell IKEA products. "We are constantly looking into markets where we are not present today but North Korea is not in our plans in a foreseeable future," the spokesperson told Fairfax Media.

The company declined to say how it would seek redress in this case, but said it took trademark protection seriously.

"There have been cases of others using the IKEA trademarks or IKEA domain names for activities such as fake IKEA websites, fraudulent schemes and similar or sell fake IKEA products and even set up fake IKEA stores," the spokesperson said. "When that happens, it is misleading for consumers and it is very unfortunate."

Late dictator Kim Jong-il mentioned IKEA in his last published speech, and Kwangbok was renovated shortly before his death, which may explain its presence.

But North Korea has a long history of flouting international copyright laws, and it continued under Kim Jong-un when he appeared on state TV with unauthorised Mickey and Minnie Mouse characters.

When Fairfax Media visited Pyongyang in 2012, Disney's Peter Pan could be seen playing in a cafe while Hello Kitty Flik Flak watch and wallet pack from Swatch was being sold for 63,000 won (about $100 at today's official, and often ignored, exchange rate).

Burberry scarves and backpacks with cartoon characters were also spotted on the capital's streets, long before Kim shook hands with US President Donald Trump.

Western items are a luxury reserved for the elite in Pyongyang, as most of the country is severely impoverished; North Korea's centrally planned economy and sanctions on the rogue state have left it with a GDP per capita among the lowest in the world.

Most tourists are keen to buy North Korean items as souvenirs, and in a bid for hard currency, the regime offers plenty of shopping opportunities to those who venture beyond the bamboo curtain.

Ginseng tea is among the most popular items, along with beer and soju, while postcards, stamps and hand-painted propaganda posters are in demand.