SEOUL (Reuters) - Thirteen North Koreans who worked at a restaurant run by the isolated state in a third country are seeking political asylum in South Korea, the South said on Friday, describing the defections as unprecedented.
The workers, 12 women and a man who managed the restaurant, arrived on Thursday in the South, which admitted them on humanitarian grounds, said Jeong Joon-hee, a spokesman for the South's Unification Ministry, which handles North Korea issues.
"There was a shared wish to go to South Korea and nobody was resistant to that," Jeong quoted a person in the group as telling authorities.
He said the workers likely faced increased pressure from Pyongyang to send cash earned from the restaurant back home as other income sources are crimped by tough U.N. sanctions.
South Korea has discouraged its citizens from eating at North Korean restaurants abroad after it imposed new sanctions against Pyongyang in March following a U.N. Security Council resolution triggered by the North's fourth nuclear test. Media reports have said business has suffered.
The restaurants, in countries such as China and Cambodia, generate an estimated $10 million in income annually which is channeled to the North, according to the South's Unification Ministry.
The North Korean restaurant workers often perform musical routines in addition to serving food, and are chosen in part for their perceived loyalty to the regime.
Jeong said it was unprecedented that such a group had defected from the same North Korean restaurant abroad.
It is also unusual for South Korea to make a formal announcement about defections by North Koreans, or to even comment on them.
Jeong said the government decided to go public about the arrivals because of the "unusual" nature of the defections.
About 29,000 people had fled North Korea and arrived in the South as of March, including 1,276 last year, with numbers declining since a 2009 peak.
North Korean defectors to South Korea typically travel through China to a third country before reaching the South. The North punishes those who are caught trying to defect and their families.
Jeong declined to identify the country where the restaurant was located, or which country the group was in before arriving in South Korea, citing potential impact on diplomatic ties.
(Reporting by Ju-min Park and Jack Kim; Editing by Tony Munroe)
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.