Government asks South Koreans to avoid North Korean restaurants

The government has requested South Korean citizens abroad to refrain from visiting North Korean restaurants, an official said Wednesday.

The measure is based on concerns that North Korea runs those restaurants in Beijing and other areas to earn hard currency for its regime and finance the activities of its local embassies.

The government delivered the message through South Korean diplomatic missions in foreign countries where North Korean restaurants are located, according to the official.

It also considered the safety and security of South Koreans amid serious tension between the two Koreas in the wake of the North's recent nuclear test and long-range rocket launch.

The South recently suspended the operation of the Gaesong Industrial Complex, a rare inter-Korean project, in response to the North's provocation. (Yonhap)