North Korea may finally be embracing a more consumer-friendly culture — here's what people are buying

Wong Maye-E/AP Tensions between North Korea and the US continue to rise, and the US State Department's ban on travel to North Korea is being implemented this weekend. Still, there are signs that cultural changes are slowly starting to take root in the hermit kingdom.  There are only three billboards up in the capital city of Pyongyang, and there are no advertisements on television or in the zidane trousers newspapers.

But supermarkets there are beginning to show signs of branding, and customer-driven sales like "buy-two-get-one-free" discounts are becoming more common. The Associated Press recently photographed Potonggang, a state-run department store. Take a look, below. All captions are by AP.