North Korea 'may hire local gangsters to carry out attacks abroad', warns South Korea
'The North Korean leadership has been infuriated over the series of recent incidents'
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Your support makes all the difference.South Korean security officials fear North Korea may hire “local gangsters” to carry out attacks on its citizens at soft targets overseas, a response to a wave of defections to the South.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) may even be trying to secure alliances with local criminals in parts of China to carry out the attacks, sources said.
Fears have grown to the extent that travel warnings have been issued for Mount Paekdu, a popular destination for South Korean tourists, situated on China's border with the DPRK.
Relations between South and North Korea have deteriorated significantly in recent weeks, caused by a series of high profile defections from the DPRK, culminating in that of senior diplomat Thae Yong-ho. His defection from the DPRK’s London embassy caused great embarrassment for the country’s regime.
"I can't give out the full details but the North Korean leadership has been infuriated over the series of recent incidents," a source told South Korean news agency Yonhap.
"For North Korea, provocative acts that won't leave any trace will be the easiest, like hiring local gangsters to commit a terrorist attack."
Security warnings have been given to South Korean citizens living in China and those travelling in the country’s border regions with the DPRK.
Visitor numbers to Mount Paekdu, where there is little security, have fallen dramatically since the warnings were made, affecting travel agencies who operate in the region.
One travel agency told the outlet: “In the run up to the peak season of July and August, we used to receive inquiries from April. But this year, the number trickled to less than half.”
"The dramatic drop was largely due to the rumours that North Korea was preparing a terror attack on South Koreans."
Another said: "When our South Korean partner companies ask if it is safe to travel here, we feel helpless because we can't guarantee absolute safety for the travellers."
The news comes as South Korea and the United States began large-scale annual military drills, prompting the DPRK to threaten both countries with a nuclear attack.
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