North Korean restaurants back in business in China
A large North Korean restaurant in the Chinese city of Shenyang, Liaoning Province, which borders the North, reopened over the weekend after being closed on the order of the Chinese authorities eight months ago.
Beijing's closure order was issued for all North Korean business entities in January in accordance with United Nations sanctions on Pyongyang. Following three summit meetings between North Korea and China this year and a recent relationship improvement, however, a number of the North's restaurants in China are moving to resume business.
The Morangwan Restaurant, a North Korean establishment on Shenyang's Xita Street, which was closed on Jan. 8 this year, resumed its business over the weekend.
With the reopening, the restaurant's first-floor lobby was brightly lit, and employees were seen moving up and down the stairs leading from the lobby to the second floor.
The restaurant was previously renowned for its showy music and dance performances by students of Pyongyang's art college, who were also serving as its employees.
According to sources, Morangwan had prepared to reopen after changing its owner to a Chinese national, and the actual reopening date was delayed due to the complicated ownership structure.
"North Korean restaurants in China were closed one after another under order of Chinese authorities complying with U.N. sanctions early this year. The rapid improvement in the bilateral relationship in the first half has led to the resumption of business by the North's restaurants," a source said.
The Reungrado Restaurant, also located on Shenyang's Xita Street, was closed on Jan. 10 but recently showed signs of interior renovation work, indicating its reopening is imminent.
"At the Reungrado Restaurant, its shutters have been opened and a pile of cement bags apparently linked to renovation work were seen at its entrance. Refrigerators and other restaurant equipment were also spotted entering the restaurant," another source said.
The Ryukyung Restaurant, the largest North Korean establishment in Dandong, Liaoning Province, resumed its business in late April, one month after the first North-China summit in March, though it is now registered as being owned by a Chinese national. (Yonhap)