‘We will not accept or serve them’

The chosen ones: Staffed by waitresses hand-picked from the country’s elite for loyalty – and who often perform musical numbers for customers – they are a major source of funds for Pyongyang. — AFP

South Koreans hoping to taste authentic North Korean cuisine abroad may be out of luck, with Pyongyang-run restaurants across northern China saying they will refuse to serve their capitalist compatriots.

Dotted throughout China and South-East Asia, North Korean-run restaurants dish up culinary staples like cold noodles and kimchi pancakes to customers typically more interested in the novelty factor than the cuisine.