North Korean restaurants overseas are a critical source of
revenue for the regime and depend heavily on South Korean tourists, according
to a former restaurant worker. The North Korean national, who spoke on the
condition of anonymity, told Voice of America in an interview Tuesday that
South Koreans make up 60 to 80 percent of restaurant revenue at her branch.
The interviewee, identified only by the initial
"J," told VOA that workers are under stricter surveillance at
overseas postings than at home, but they also have the opportunity to see what
a "free life" is like. The North Korean restaurant where J worked as
a server earned $1,500 to $2,400 a day, and most of the money earned came from
food, followed by sales of North Korean souvenirs.