Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Sector7G]

From the WaPo....

TOKYO — Thirteen North Koreans working at a state-run restaurant in an unidentified country defected to South Korea this week, the government in Seoul announced Friday.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/north-korean-restaurant-workers-defect-en-masse-to-south-korea/2016/04/08/03de3c0e-1afd-4157-af29-106ff52679d2_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_nkorea-750pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

...Has to be a really tough decision to defect, if it's true, and I believe it is, that NK severely punishes the friends and family of defectors.

[CentralCali]

[Sector7G]

Thanks for the link. I found the following quote interesting:


"Undoubtedly, security officials were assigned to control all the workers at the restaurant. Could a security official have been among the defectors? Did they appeal for refugee status as the restaurant was closing or did they flee in one group as they were about to return to North Korea?

Such questions go unanswered amid larger questions about unrest among North Koreans at home as well as overseas – and the basic security of the regime."

[Sector7G]

Update -
"Tearful North Korean waitresses: Our 'defector' colleagues were tricked"

.....China: North Koreans left legally

If true, a mass defection would be a humiliating blow to the Pyongyang leadership. Especially because it was apparently allowed by China, North Korea's most powerful ally and trading partner. In the past, China has sent defectors back to North Korea.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/20/asia/north-korea-restaurant-defectors/index.html