More N.K. restaurant staff in China escape for possible defection: Seoul
2024-09-22 17:19:17 [行业动态] 来源:Anhui News
South Korea's unification ministry said Tuesday that a small number of North Korean restaurant staff have recently escaped their workplace in China.
The confirmation comes a day after local media reported two or three North Koreans are moving to a third country after fleeing a Pyongyang-run restaurant in China, according to local media reports. The reports claimed the North Koreans may have escaped from a restaurant in either Xian or Shanghai.
The case is the second escape by North Korean restaurant staff working in China after the mass defection that took place in April.
Last month, a group of 13 North Koreans who had worked at a restaurant in the Chinese eastern port city of Ningbo defected to Seoul en masse amid tougher international sanctions.
"It is a fact that North Koreans have recently fled an overseas restaurant," said a ministry official, asking not to be named. "But we cannot confirm anything about their current situation."
The official said that the April defection case may have affected the latest one, adding that the government is seeking to verify relevant information.
A source familiar with North Korean affairs said the North Korean restaurant staff seemed to have fled their workplace at some point after May 9, when the ruling Workers' Party of Korea concluded the four-day run of its first congress in 36 years.
Overseas restaurants operated by North Korea have served as one of the main sources of hard currency for North Korea, with which the North is suspected of bankrolling its nuclear and missile programs.
Such restaurants are known to be facing financial difficulty after the U.N. Security Council slapped tougher sanctions on Pyongyang for its January nuclear test and long-range rocket launch in February.
South Korea estimates that North Korea is running approximately
130 restaurants in around 12 countries, including China, Vietnam and Cambodia, earning $10 million annually, according to government sources.
North Koreans in overseas restaurants are among some 50,000 workers sent abroad by the regime to earn much-needed dollars to help it tackle economic hardships amid the U.N. sanctions regime.
North Korea handpicks workers who are loyal to the regime and sends them overseas to work at restaurants. South Korea said that those who defected en masse last month are known to have good social status in the North.
Pyongyang, meanwhile, has claimed that South Korea kidnapped the group of North Koreans who defected to Seoul last month. It has called for Seoul to permit their North Korean family members to have a face-to-face meeting with them. (Yonhap)
The confirmation comes a day after local media reported two or three North Koreans are moving to a third country after fleeing a Pyongyang-run restaurant in China, according to local media reports. The reports claimed the North Koreans may have escaped from a restaurant in either Xian or Shanghai.
The case is the second escape by North Korean restaurant staff working in China after the mass defection that took place in April.
Last month, a group of 13 North Koreans who had worked at a restaurant in the Chinese eastern port city of Ningbo defected to Seoul en masse amid tougher international sanctions.
"It is a fact that North Koreans have recently fled an overseas restaurant," said a ministry official, asking not to be named. "But we cannot confirm anything about their current situation."
The official said that the April defection case may have affected the latest one, adding that the government is seeking to verify relevant information.
A source familiar with North Korean affairs said the North Korean restaurant staff seemed to have fled their workplace at some point after May 9, when the ruling Workers' Party of Korea concluded the four-day run of its first congress in 36 years.
Overseas restaurants operated by North Korea have served as one of the main sources of hard currency for North Korea, with which the North is suspected of bankrolling its nuclear and missile programs.
Such restaurants are known to be facing financial difficulty after the U.N. Security Council slapped tougher sanctions on Pyongyang for its January nuclear test and long-range rocket launch in February.
South Korea estimates that North Korea is running approximately
130 restaurants in around 12 countries, including China, Vietnam and Cambodia, earning $10 million annually, according to government sources.
North Koreans in overseas restaurants are among some 50,000 workers sent abroad by the regime to earn much-needed dollars to help it tackle economic hardships amid the U.N. sanctions regime.
North Korea handpicks workers who are loyal to the regime and sends them overseas to work at restaurants. South Korea said that those who defected en masse last month are known to have good social status in the North.
Pyongyang, meanwhile, has claimed that South Korea kidnapped the group of North Koreans who defected to Seoul last month. It has called for Seoul to permit their North Korean family members to have a face-to-face meeting with them. (Yonhap)
(责任编辑:产品中心)
相关内容
- [Exclusive] Samsung unsure of Suga's future as brand ambassador: source
- Neymar has 'ligament damage' in injured ankle
- 'The Notorious R.B.G.' taught a new generation how to dissent with her internet stardom
- MSCHF will pay you to 'kill brands' on TikTok
- 雅安市举办首届“文轩教育”校园足球精英夏令营
- Bernie Sanders’ DNC speech sounded like everyone else’s. That’s astonishing.
- 祖孙俩煤气中毒 孙子死亡 奶奶获救
- US condemns recent N. Korean ballistic missile launches: State Dept.
- This nonprofit is selling tiny $6 hijabs for children to put on their dolls
- Pakistan Cricket at crossroads after shock defeat at Pindi
- Bareun Party elects first leader
- Women found Trump's body language towards Angela Merkel so painfully familiar
- Former UN chief Ban renews presidential ambitions
推荐文章
-
The first mass-market model train sets were produced in 1891 by German manufacturer Märklin (a compa ...[详细]
-
Lukaku struggling on Inter return
MILAN:Romelu Lukaku's return to Inter Milan has been far from what he would have hoped it would ...[详细] -
Adorable kid struggling to stay awake while eating is all of us on a Monday
Ever get so tired and hungry at the same time?You'll appreciate this kid who is the latest star of a ...[详细] -
Facebook uses F8 privacy livestream to gather data on its users
Haven't you heard? Facebook is all about privacy now. At least that's what Mark Zuckerberg said at F ...[详细] -
Scientists discover where the huge dinosaur
A menacing asteroid, some six miles wide, triggered Earth's last mass extinction. Now, scientists ha ...[详细] -
Barcelona restore La Liga lead with Cadiz win
BARCELONA:Robert Lewandowski and Sergi Roberto's goals helped Barcelona beat Cadiz 2-0 and resto ...[详细] -
Bose brings back the Sleepbuds II to help you fall asleep for $250
If you've been having trouble sleeping, Bose has a $250 solution for you.A year after being disconti ...[详细] -
Facebook Dating will come to the U.S. in 2019
Nothing says love like a like button.Facebook launched its "anti-Tinder" dating service, Facebook Da ...[详细] -
Yoon approves labor minister's appointment
Kim Moon-soo, then the nominee to become the new labor minister, attends a meeting at the presidenti ...[详细] -
Kerley aiming for golden double at worlds
MELBOURNE:Versatile track superstar Fred Kerley Tuesday said his key goal for 2023 was to match Usai ...[详细]
热点阅读
随机内容
Sinkhole swallows up car, injuring 2 in Seoul
'The Notorious R.B.G.' taught a new generation how to dissent with her internet stardom
- Malan retires from international cricket
- North Korea will renew efforts to promote tourism next year: experts
- 'Cops' films new episodes, but they won't air in the U.S.
- The most hacked band password is 'Blink
- [Exclusive] Samsung unsure of Suga's future as brand ambassador: source
- N. Korea makes brief report on Trump's inauguration
- Seoul subway train catches fire