North Korea: apparel exported to US
    North Korean-made apparel has been exported to the US for the first time, offering a boost for South Korean companies that are making inroads into the communist state, The Korea limes reported.

    According to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), US trade records showed that a New York trader bought more than $110,000 worth of clothing made in North Korea.

    The New York trading firm run by a Korean arranged the deal which covered two separate shipments between December 2002 and June this year. The shipments, mostly comprised of wornenswear, were distributed in the US through retailer JC Penney. KOTRA said.

    The agency said the shipments mark the first "sustained" commercial transaction between the US and North Korea, which have ilo formal diplomatic or economic ties.