13 DPRK citizens 'left with valid passports'

Thirteen citizens of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea left China last week in the early hours with valid passports, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday in response to reports of DPRK restaurant employees leaving for Seoul.

"Chinese public security authorities have been informed of the case about missing DPRK citizens in China recently," said ministry spokesman Lu Kang.

He said an investigation found that the DPRK citizens left China on Wednesday in a normal way with valid passports.