North Korea orders workers in China, Russia to return home

 North Korea may have ordered about 170,000 of its workers overseas to return home, following an international ban against its labor force in neighboring China and Russia.


The mandate comes at a time when sanctions may be causing new pressure on North Korea and "potentially with their military," according to the U.S. State Department.

The Asahi Shimbun reported Friday the order from the Kim Jong Un regime applies to all laborers in China and Russia, including the 120,000 workers in China's factories and North Korean restaurants in China.

Russia also retains an active North Korean workforce of about 50,000, according to the report.

North Korean workers in the border city of Dandong may have already left, in a move that demonstrates that North Korea is either one step ahead of Beijing and Moscow in removing its citizens, or coordinating with host governments following the adoption of tough new sanctions at the United Nations Security Council.

The departure of North Korean workers could take a bite out of the country's foreign currency earnings.
 [upi.com]
 10/11/17