North Korea has sent a group of female waitresses to work at a North Korean restaurant in Dandong City, Liaoning Province, on the mainland, to make money for the Kim regime. However, they are strictly controlled and not allowed to have contact with the outside world. Recently, a North Korean female waitress briefly escaped, causing dozens of her colleagues at the restaurant to be called back to North Korea, facing possible severe punishment.
According to Radio Free Asia’s report on November 19th, Dandong City borders North Korea’s Sinuiju City along the Yalu River. There are several famous North Korean restaurants in the area that attract guests with young North Korean female waitresses. These young women not only provide table service but also sing and dance to entertain the guests.
However, most of the money they earn is sent to the North Korean government under the guise of “loyalty funds,” while their living conditions are very poor, sometimes even sleeping in small rooms inside the restaurant.
Although they are in another country, the North Korean authorities strictly control their every move, not allowing them to have contact with the outside world, sometimes even prohibiting them from leaving the restaurant.
Earlier this year, a North Korean female waitress working at the Liujing Hotel in Dandong City escaped secretly but returned a week later because local police tracked her movements.
An anonymous resident of Dandong City told the radio station that the North Korean authorities recalled all North Korean female waitresses working at the Liujing Hotel. When he visited the restaurant, only Chinese staff remained.
He mentioned that the Liujing Hotel is very popular in Dandong City because it is larger than other North Korean restaurants in the city and has luxurious decorations. But what is most impressive is that the North Korean female waitresses wear colorful traditional costumes to greet guests at the entrance.
He said the escape incident that happened earlier this year at Liujing Hotel was initially kept confidential but has now been made public. At the end of last month, the North Korean authorities ordered all North Korean staff at Liujing Hotel to return to their home country. This incident is seen as a serious offense because it “seriously damages the country’s image.”
He said, “The employee’s escape violated regulations, but everyone is shocked by the inhumane treatment by the authorities. They essentially imprison these women in their early twenties for years, making them earn foreign exchange for the country.”
Another resident of Dandong City told the radio station that besides the female waitress who escaped, other North Korean staff at the restaurant might also face punishment. This is a significant departure from the past when only the person who escaped would be punished.
The resident said that the restaurant manager and the female waitresses would face severe judicial punishment. As the owner of the restaurant and the security supervisor responsible for managing the staff, the representative sent by North Korea is now in big trouble.
He revealed that the North Korean staff at the restaurant are divided into groups and live under strict control during the day and night. They can only go shopping for necessities once a month or occasionally on their rare days off, accompanied by the restaurant manager.
He said, “This is the only moment for these trapped employees to look up at the sky and breathe fresh air.”