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International relations

North Korean restaurants in Laos fly under radar

No signs, but plenty of clues to connection with Pyongyang

The Pyongyang Restaurant in Vientiane no longer has clear signage identifying it by that name. (Photo by Junnoruke Kobara)

VIENTIANE -- Laos, one of the few countries to maintain friendly relations with North Korea, is home to several low-profile Korean restaurants believed to be run by Pyongyang as a source of foreign currency.

What appears as "Pyongyang Restaurant" on Google Maps in Vientiane looked very different on July 25, the first day meeting of foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the Laotian capital.

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