The North Korean-themed restaurant boom is over at least as far as the Chinese city of Dandong is concerned Three North Korean restaurants in
The North Korean-themed restaurant boom is over, at least as far as the Chinese city of Dandong is concerned. Three North Korean restaurants in the border city have closed down this month, and staff at the restaurants are now returning home, sources say.
Used by Pyongyang as a major source of foreign cash, North Korean Restaurants were at the height of their popularity several years ago in China, Russia and Southeast Asia. But the main attraction was not the food. The draw was the female entertainer-waitresses.
Now the novelty seems to have worn off, and coupled with U. N. sanctions against North Korea designed to cut funds for its nuclear and missile programs, many North Korean restaurants throughout the region are struggling to stay in the black or even to operate with a full staff.
The Ryu Gyong, Pyongyang Koryo, and Mount Chilbo restaurants all closed down this month, said a resident of Dandong on Thursday in an interview with RFAs Korean Service.
The Ryu Gyong restaurant was the biggest of the three here in Dandong.
