The South Korean government on Friday said it is seeking to ascertain the truth behind local media reports that 12 North Korean restaurant workers who arrived in the ROK in 2016 were brought against their will.

In comments made during a regular press briefing, Ministry of Unification (MOU) spokesperson Baik Tae-hyun was asked to comment on a report by South Korea’s left-leaning JTBC network broadcast on Thursday.

That report featured an interview with the manager of the restaurant where the women worked – who came to South Korea with them – claiming that they had been brought to the ROK against